Naveen ul Haq rattled the Chennai Braves top order in a terrific opening over to set the platform for Team Abu Dhabi’s third consecutive win in the Abu Dhabi T10 on Wednesday.
The Afghan quick had Daniel Lawrence caught behind by Kamran Atta with his first delivery and bowled Sikandar Raza with the next at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Carlos Brathwaite denied Naveen his hat-trick by taking a single, but he struck with his final delivery to have Dawid Malan caught by Alishan Sharafu at cover to leave the Braves three wickets down for one run.
They never recovered from that eventful over and ended up with 71 for six after electing to bat first. Naveen finished with three for seven from his two overs while Andrew Tye returned with two for 14.
Abu Dhabi didn’t do any better at the start of their innings. They too slumped to three wickets down for one run in the second over before Chris Lynn (39) and Fabian Allen (33) took them over the line for a seven-wicket triumph with eight balls to spare.
Lynn’s 25-ball knock contained four boundaries and a couple of maximums while Allen hit three sixes and a four in 21 balls.
Patrick Dooley struck twice in the opening over. He had Alex Hales caught by Lawrence at short extra cove from his second delivery and James Vince caught by Raza at short square leg from his next ball.
Sam Cook dismissed Brandon King in the first ball of the second over before Lynn and Allen took the game away and Abu Dhabi’s tally to seven points from five games.
Nicholas Pooran hammered the fastest fifty of the series as Deccan Gladiators smashed Bangla Tigers by 10 wickets in the second game of the night.
Pooran smashed Shakib Al Hassan for five sixes to reach his half century in 16 balls. His opening partner Tom Kohler-Cadmore thumped 50 off 21 balls, studded with five fours and four sixes, as the Gladiators made 109 without loss in 6.1 overs after restricting the Tigers to 108 for seven.
Iftikhar Ahmed once again top scored for the Tigers with a 21-ball 54 not out. The Pakistan international whacked five sixes and three fours while Mohammad Hasnain and David Weiss took two wickets each for the Gladiators.
The result moved Gladiators to the top of the table on eight points, one more than Abu Dhabi.
Eoin Morgan cracked a brilliant series high 87 not out to stretch New York Strikers’ winning streak to four with a last-ball victory over Northern Warriors in the late game.
The former England captain smashed a dozen boundaries in a 35-ball knock for his side to post 144 for five in reply to the Warriors' 143 for three.
