Russell and Moores steer Gladiators; Team AD notch up 2nd straight win

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Andre Russell and Tom Moores  shared a 94-run partnership as Deccan Gladiators defeated Chennai Braves by 24 runs in the T10 League match. Riding on the Russell-Moores partnership, Gladiator set a total of 146/3 in their 10 overs.

Angelo Perera and Ravi Bopara scored half centuries in reply for Braves, but those innings weren't enough for them to reach their target as they fell short by 24 runs.

Captain Wahab Riaz set the tone for the Deccan Gladiators by dismissing Mohammad Shahzad and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the very first over.

Therafter, Perera (60 runs from 29 balls) and Bopara (51 runs from 26 balls) kept The Chennai Braves' hopes alive by scoring boundaries at regular intervals, however, they couldn't strike at the required rate.

With 34 runs needed from the last over, Odean Smith removed Perera and Bopara and ensured that the Deccan Gladiators picked up their two points.

Earlier, Andre Russell (43 runs from 17 balls) and Tom Moores (47 runs from 17 balls) put up a scintillating display of batting to help the Deccan Gladiators post a huge total in their 10 overs. After the initial burst provided by Tom Banton with an innings of 24 runs from 11 balls, Russell and Moores strung a partnership of 94 runs in just 32 balls.

The big hitting Russell started the fireworks in the seventh over when he smacked Samiullah Shinwari for two sixes and a four. In the next over, Russell and Moores plundered 23 runs off Dhananjaya Lakshan's bowling.

Team Abu Dhabi's players celebrate fall of a wicket during their match against Northern Warriors.

The Deccan Gladiators had another big over when Moores smashed Curtis Campher for two sixes and two fours, taking their score to 137/3 at the end of the ninth over. Moores struck another six in the last over off Ravi Bopara's bowling, which catapulted the Deccan Gladiators' score to 146/3

Meanwhile, Team Abu Dhabi recorded their second successive victory in the fifth season of the Abu Dhabi T10 after defeating Northern Warriors by 21 runs on Saturday.

Captain Liam Livingstone played a fantastic innings of 68* runs from 23 balls to help Team Abu Dhabi post a total of 132/5 in their 10 overs and thereafter the Team Abu Dhabi bowlers picked up wickets at regular intervals to restrict the Warriors to 111/7.

Kennar Lewis kept the Northern Warriors in the game by thrashing Jamie Overton for three sixes in the third over, however, Danny Briggs pulled things back for Team Abu Dhabi by dismissing Samit Patel and Kennar Lewis in the next over.

Captain Rovman Powell took on the bowling single-handedly with an innings of 42 runs from 19 balls, but he didn't find much support from the other end. Naveen-ul-Haq tilted the match completely in Team Abu Dhabi's favour when he removed Powell and Jordan in the ninth over, leaving the Warriors 37 runs behind their target.

Earlier, the Northern Warriors bowlers kept Team Abu Dhabi in check by picking up wickets at regular intervals.

The hard-hitting Paul Stirling was removed by Samit Patel for a first ball duck in the second over and the dangerous Chris Gayle was dismissed by Rayad Emrit for just 9 runs in the fifth over. The

Northern Warriors were in full control of the game when they restricted Team Abu Dhabi to 80/5 in 8 overs.

However, Liam Livingstone took the responsibility and provided the impetus that his side needed.

He smashed four sixes and two fours off Joshua Little's bowling in the ninth over and took Team Abu Dhabi's score to 115/5. Livingstone continued to hit the big shots, striking Chris Jordan for two sixes in the last over. Team Abu Dhabi gathered 17 runs off the last over and raised their total to a competitive one.