Tahir pleased with first foray in T10 format

Abu Dhabi - The Deccan Gladiators finished with two wins, while the Arabians’ lone victory came in the group phase

In the end, it wasn’t what the Maratha Arabians had envisaged at the start of the tournament. The defending champions ended their campaign with a fifth defeat, going down to the Deccan Gladiators in their last Super League match of the Abu Dhabi T10 League on Thursday.

In what a game between last year’s champs and last year’s runners-up at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, the Deccan Gladiators won by 29 runs.

Chasing a target of 121, the Maratha Arabians could only muster 91-3 despite a defiant unbeaten 44 from 21 balls with three boundaries and an equal number of sixes by captain Mosaddek Hossain.

The Deccan Gladiators finished with two wins, while the Arabians’ lone victory came in the group phase, when they had beaten 2018 winners Northern Warriors in the tournament opener.

South Africa’s veteran leg spinner Imran Tahir, who led the Gladiators in place of Kieron Pollard, felt it was a great experience after his first foray in the format.

“It is a format that I wanted to play and experience. I wanted to see where I am, and I wanted to challenge myself. And I had a great experience, personally. I want to play as long as I can and I want to enjoy myself,” the 41-year-old said.

Tahir also said it was an honour to lead the team. “It was an honour to lead the side. It was a good experience for me personally, but it was also good that we won. And that is what we wanted as a team. Obviously, in the whole competition, we won only one game which is pretty sad because we had some really good players in our squad. But then, that’s how life goes, and we have to think what is ahead of us,’ said Tahir.

Earlier, put into bat, the Deccan Gladiators mustered 120 for four with Anwar Ali coming up with an unbeaten cameo of 39 from 12 deliveries, which had six boundaries and two sixes.

Opener Prashant Gupta made a 16-ball 35 with four boundaries and two sixes, while wicketkeeper-batsman Yasir Kaleem came up with 28 from 16, with three sixes and a four.

With this being their last fixture, both teams made a flurry of changes and gave other players an opportunity. Apart from Pollard, Sunil Narine and Ravi Rampaul too warmed the bench along with Mohammad Shahzad.

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez sat out for the Maratha Arabians.

The Deccan Gladiators suffered an early blow, losing opener Azam Khan in the opening over. The 22-year-old, the son of former Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan had begun by smashing Pravin Tambe through the covers for a boundary.

But Khan fell while attempting a slog sweep and was gobbled up by Sompal Kami at deep midwicket, off the last ball of the over.

But Khan’s opening partner Prashant and Kaleem then kept it together with a 64-run partnership for the second wicket to take them to 67 for one in five overs. Prashant was on a 14-ball 34 where he had struck four boundaries and two sixes, while Kaleem was on 27 from 13 balls with three sixes and a four.

Just as they were looking to accelerate, Sompal Kami brought an end to the dangerous stand with twin blows. Prashant mistimed his pull off a short and slower one from the Nepal medium pacer to be caught by Mosaddek at long-on.

Kami came up with another slower delivery and Kaleem pulled it straight into the hands of Alishan Sharafu at deep midwicket, two balls later.

Cameron Delport fell cheaply, with the South African left-hander making six but Anwar Ali’s knock saw them finish with that score.

Kami returned with two for 12.

Brief scores:

Deccan Gladiators: 120-4 in 10 overs (Anwar Ali 39 not out, Prashant Gupta 35, Yasir Kaleem 28, Sompal Kami 2-12) beat Maratha Arabians: 91-3 in 10 overs (Mosaddek Hossain 44 not out, Ishan Malhotra 22) by 29 runs.

james@khaleejtimes.com