Nicholas Pooran and Evin Lewis provided the fireworks on the opening night of the Abu Dhabi T10's sixth season as Deccan Gladiators and Bangla Tigers recorded victories on Wednesday.
Pooran smashed 77 off 33 deliveries to lead Gladiators to a 35-run win over Team Abu Dhabi by 35 runs, while Lewis belted a 22-ball 58 in the Tigers’ 19-run triumph over newcomers New York Strikers, both at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Batting first, the Gladiators lost Will Meed (0) in the second delivery of the game to Afghanistan quick Naveen ul Haq before Pooran joined Tom Kohler-Cadmore (13) to take the score to 50-1 in 3.3 overs.
From there it was Pooran who took charge. The West Indian hit eight sixes and five fours, and shared a 72-run stand for the fifth wicket with compatriot Odean Smith, who clubbed a 12-ball 23.
Peter Hatzoglou and Fabien Allen were the pick of the Abu Dhabi bowlers, finishing with two for 18 and two for 12, respectively, from their two over apiece.
Abu Dhabi lost openers Alex Hales (8) at 25 and Chris Lynn (14) 10 runs later and never appeared to be in the race, finishing on 99-6.
Abu Dhabi suffered a setback when UAE international Alishan Sharafu suffered an ankle injury during the warm-up and ruled out of the game, handing 16-year-old Ethan D’Souza to debut in a franchise tournament and making him the youngest player in the team's history.
Tigers defeat Strikers
New York Strikers’ first appearance in the T10 ended in defeat, going down to Bangla Tigers by 19 runs in the opening game of the night.
Lewis clubbed seven sixes and two fours for the Tigers to post 131 for five while Matheesha Pathirana and Rohan Mustafa grabbed two wickets each to restrict the Strikers to 112 for eight.
There was also a contribution of note by Tigers captain Shakib ul Hassan, who hit a six and a four in an unbeaten six-ball 14 to push the team’s total to a position of strength.
Kieron Pollard provided a glimmer of hope for the American franchise with a 19-ball 45 not out but didn’t have the support at the other end, as none of the other batters got into double figures aside from Azam Khan’s 13-ball 34.
“It was a good surface to bat on but you don’t have much time to settle down in this format. Nevertheless it’s a good start that I can build on as the tournament progresses,” Lewis said.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
RESULTS
6.30pm: Emirates Holidays Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Lady Snazz, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Arabian Adventures Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7.40pm: Emirates Skywards Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Rich And Famous, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Emirates Airline Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Rio Angie, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Emirates Sky Cargo (TB) Dh 92,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Kinver Edge, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.15pm: Emirates.com (TB) Dh 95,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
The%20specs
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The five pillars of Islam
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
