Day 2 of the Abu Dhabi T10 League belonged to the big hitters, with Dasun Shanaka and Azmatullah Omarzai producing match-winning cameos as Yas Lions and United Tigers both collected two points at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Shanaka’s evening began with the Lions chasing 116 against Emirates Eagles, and the Sri Lankan made light work of it. His 60 off just 25 balls, featuring four fours and six sixes, carried Yas Lions to 117 for 4 in 8.4 overs and a six-wicket win with eight balls to spare. It was the Lions’ first win of the tournament after their seven-wicket defeat in the opener, and Shanaka was named Player of the Match.
The Eagles had looked well placed at the halfway stage. Shimron Hetmyer smashed 65 not out off 30 balls, with four fours and four sixes, but no other Eagles batter passed 20 as they finished on 115 for 4. Kyle Mayers made 20 off 9, but Khuzaima Bin Tanvir’s 2 for 28 and Akeal Hosein’s 1 for 16 kept the total within reach. In reply, Shanaka found support from Andries Gous, who made 14, and late cameos from Karim Janat, unbeaten on 11, and captain Jason Holder, unbeaten on 10 off 3 balls, sealed the chase.
The second game of the night was even more one-sided in its finish. United Tigers, batting first against defending champions UAE Bulls, were in trouble at 82 for 5 before Omarzai changed the game. He and Faheem Ashraf added 41 off just 16 balls, with Omarzai scoring 29 of them off eight, and the Afghan all-rounder finished on 48 not out off 19 balls, with five sixes, to lift the Tigers to 126 for 6. It earned him a second straight Player of the Match award.
The Bulls’ chase never recovered from Usman Tariq’s double strike. The spinner, who had taken two wickets in two balls against Arabian Aces on the opening night, did it again, removing captain Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine off successive deliveries to leave the Bulls at 87 for 4 with ten balls left. Khawaja Nafay fought hard with an unbeaten 48 off 25 balls, and Andre Fletcher made 19, but the Bulls finished on 101 for 4, 25 runs short.
The result leaves United Tigers as the only team with two wins from two games, top of the table with a net run rate of +3.800, while the defending champions have now lost one of their two matches. The day’s final game, Arabian Aces against Royal Desert Champions, was still to come as the Tigers celebrated, with the league running until November 20, all at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Related: Fletcher, Powell and Omarzai Star as Abu Dhabi T10 Roars Into Life on Opening Day — https://t20star.com/fletcher-powell-and-omarzai-star-as-abu-dhabi-t10-roars-into-life-on-opening-day/ | Gardner’s 18-Ball Fifty and Devine’s All-Round Show Keep Sixers and Scorchers Perfect in WBBL — https://t20star.com/gardners-18-ball-fifty-and-devines-all-round-show-keep-sixers-and-scorchers-perfect-in-wbbl/
