Abu Dhabi T10: Gladiators beat Braves by 24 runs

Asked to bat first, the Gladiators made 146 in 10 overs, thanks to an unbeaten 97-run fourth-wicket partnership between Tom Moores and Andre Russell

Deccan Gladiators defeated Chennai Braves by 24 runs in the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Asked to bat first, the Gladiators made 146 in 10 overs, thanks to an unbeaten 97-run fourth-wicket partnership between Tom Moores (17-ball 47) and Andre Russell (17-ball 43), which included nine massive sixes.

In reply, the Braves put up a spirited fight with fifties from Angelo Perera (29-ball 60) and Ravi Bopara (26-ball 51) but in the end it wasn’t enough against the Gladiators’ six-bowler army.

Earlier in the day, the Gladiators made a brisk start. Tom Banton set the tone by whacking Curtis Campher for three consecutive boundaries. The Braves tasted first success as Tom Kohler-Cadmore (6) perished trying to smack Dhananjaya Lakshan’s delivery out of the park. Banton (11-ball 24) continued to find the boundaries but was undone by a slower one from Dasun Shanaka and was caught brilliantly by Campher.

Munaf Patel bowled Anwar Ali (9-ball 14) as the Gladiators reached 57/3 after five overs. The match was evenly poised. However, Russell and Moores wrested the advantage with some powerful hits. It was raining sixes as Russell swatted Samiullah Shinwari and Moores yanked Lakshan for a couple of sixes. The Gladiators marched to 111/3 – a par score on the pitch – by the end of 8 overs.

Moores belted Campher for fours and sixes and Russell joined the party. The duo amassed 89 runs in the last five overs to register 146 on the board.

Moores, the player of the match, said he had “good fun” smashing sixes.

“Yes, it was good. Someone like him (Russell) being in the middle helped me a lot. I was trying to keep up with him. So, it was great to be in the middle with him,” Moores said about playing with the flamboyant Jamaican.

Moores hit five sixes in his innings.

“We had a few big overs. We tried to get as many runs as we could. I tried to hit the ball as hard as I could. I tried to hit as many sixes as possible.”

While chasing, the Braves made a disastrous start as pacer Wahab Riaz snared Mohammad Shahzad (4) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (0) in his first over. At 5/2, Perera and Bopara started the repair work. The pair showed intent by smoking Rumman Raees for 17 runs, including two fours and a six. They scored two fours each against Riaz and Hasaranga de Silva. After five overs, the Braves reached 53/2.

Bopara made a case with a couple of fours off David Wiese and Russell. Perera brought up his 23-ball 50 with a big six off Raees as the Braves reached 102/2 after eight overs.

Needing 45 off 12 balls, Perera sliced Russell for two boundaries in the penultimate over to make it a 34-run game from six balls but Smith ended the valiant fight of the Braves with the scalps of Perera and Bopara. The Braves finished at 122/4.

The Gladiators’ Riaz was a happy skipper after contributing with two wickets for 16 runs.

“Yes, I think the guys have played really well. It gives a lot of confidence to the players. I kept bowling my line and length. If they miss, I hit,” the Pakistani pacer said.