Abu Dhabi [UAE], January 30 (ANI): Delhi Bulls notched up their second successive victory by registering an emphatic nine-wicket win in just five overs over defending champions Maratha Arabians in Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium.
The bulls charged to an easy victory after restricting Arabians to just 87 for 3. Opener Evin Lewis hit a belligerent unbeaten 55 runs off just 16 balls with seven sixes and two boundaries. Ravi Bopara remained unbeaten on 28 runs as they won with 30 balls to spare. This win will also help Delhi Bulls boost up their run rate.
Bulls won the toss and promptly elected to field. Arabians got off to a shocking start when their opener Abdul Shakoor, who was the hero of their first match over Northern Warriors on an opening day, got out for a duck. Going for a big hit off Amad Butt, Shakoor edged to the wicketkeeper. Butt gave away just one run in this over.
The second over too saw Arabians losing another wicket when Laurie Evans, hoping to clear the long on, landd up being caught by Mohammad Nabi for 11.e
Amad Butt bowled a tight third over giving away just six runs. In the fourth over, Arabians lost another wicket when experienced Mohammad Hafeez hit Ali Khan to Nabi at mid-wicket for 5.
At the halfway stage, Maratha was struggling for runs at 41 for 3. Skipper Mosaddek Hossain and opener Javed Ahmadi tried their best to force the pace. Hossain played a lovely straight drive to the boundary off Dwayne Bravo.
Runs were still hard to come with Kasif Daud bowling a brilliant seventh over giving away just four runs. Though Ahmadi and Hossain hit Bravo for boundaries in the eighth over, their team’s chances of a total of over 100 runs began to sink.
In the ninth over Ahmadi got run out off a direct throw from Ali Khan for 24. Edwards, who bowled the last over, gave away just five runs to restrict Maratha to a small target. Butt who gave away just seven runs from his two overs and took one wicket stood out as the best among the bowlers.
Chasing a run rate of just 8.70, Bulls’ opener Rahmanullah flicked Yamin Ahmadzai into the hands of Muktar Ali at deep square leg off the second ball of the first over. Ravi Bopara, who joined Evin Lewis, hit Sompal Kamin for three consecutive boundaries in the second over to pick 17 runs off that over.
India’s veteran leg spinner Pravin Tambe was introduced in the third over but Lewis picked two successive boundaries. The partnership between Bopara and Lewis got stronger with their pair picking 15 runs off Sohag Gazi’s fourth over. Lewis hit Muktar Ali for four sixes to take 33 runs off that over and ensure Bulls’ victory in just five overs.
Brief Scores: Maratha Arabians 87/4 (Javed Ahmadi 24, Mosaddek Hossain 35*; Amad Butt 2-7); Delhi Bulls 89/1 (Evin Lewis 55*, Ravi Bopara 28*; Yamin Ahmadzai 1-12) (ANI)