Chennai Braves brave chase override Northern Warriors in tense match

 

Chennai Braves brave chase override Northern Warriors in tense match

 Chennai Braves’s brave chase after restricting Northern Warriors to 106 for 3 helped them record a five wicket win with two balls to spare in the 14th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

The architects of their victory were Sikandar Raza who hit 27 off ten balls and skipper Charaith Asalanka, who remained unbeaten on 22 off 16 balls. Stephen Eskinazi too had chipped in with 22 runs. Northern Warriors’s opener Hazratullah Zazai’s brilliant knock of 54 off 32 balls with seven boundaries and a six went in vain.

Opener Zazai’s half century show

Chennai Braves won the toss and elected to field. Northern Warriors’ opener Hazratullah Zazai hit two consecutive boundaries off the fourth and fifth deliveries of the first over from Sam Cook to take 13 runs off the over. Junaid Siddique’s second over too cost 13 runs with Zazai picking his third boundary.

The usually aggressive Kennar Lewis began slowly. Chris Sole bowled a good third over giving away just six runs. Obed McCoy too bowled a tight fourth over giving away only seven runs. Zazai hit the first six of the innings by pulling Sole over mid-wicket. He also smashed the third ball for a boundary to long on. Northern Warriors openers recorded their 50 runs partnership in five overs.

Mohammad Nabi was introduced for the sixth over. He gave away only singles off his six deliveries. Big hits were needed and Zazai flicked Cook’s first delivery for a boundary. He also cover drove Cooks’s third ball for another four. He reached his half century in 30 balls through another fluent cover drive off the last ball of Cook’s over.

Nabi ended Zazai’s knock with the fourth ball of his eighth over. Roy at long-off pulled off a brilliant running catch. Zazai’s 54 off 32 balls had seven boundaries and one six. Nabi also got James Neesham caught and bowled off the last ball of the over for 2.

The double blow scuttled Northern Warriors’s hopes of even crossing the 100 run mark. Junaid Siddique made it tougher by having Lewis caught by Herft at short third man for 13.

Adam Hose took up the challenge and picked a boundary off McCoy’s second delivery of the last over and also hit him for a mighty six off the fourth to ensure his team reaches the 100 run mark. He also hit the fifth ball for a boundary for a total of 106 for 3 in 10 overs. Hose remained unbeaten on 24 off ten balls with three boundaries and a six.

*Chennai Braves’s brave chase *

Chennai Braves opener Kobe Herft got out to Angelo Mathews’s last delivery of the first over, caught behind by wicketkeeper Kaunain Abbas for 4. Azmatullah Omarzai too bowled a tight second over giving away only seven runs. Stephen Eskinazi hit James Neesam to long leg for a six. Roy fell to Neesham’s fifth delivery, brilliantly caught by a diving Ziaur Rahman at long-off for 4.

Tabraiz Shamsi, who bowled the fourth over, was smashed for a six by Bhanuka Rajapaksa. For the fifth over, Northern Warriors introduced Abhimanyu Mithun and he struck right away by having Rajapaksa caught brilliantly by Zaza at deep cover for 8. At the half way mark, the match was interestingly poised with Chennai Braves needed 65 runs off 30 balls.

Eskinazi smashed Shamsi’s third delivery for a boundary to take his team to 50 in 5.3 overs. Shamsi struck back to trap Eskinazi leg before for 22. For the second time wicket keeper Kaunain Abbas let pass four byes off Neesham. Charith Asalanka also hit two consecutive boundaries off Neesham to get 15 runs off that over.

Sikandar Raza’s brave act

With 40 runs needed off 18 balls, Sikandar Raza hit Mathews’ third delivery for a six to mid-wicket and the next to a boundary over short third man. He also hit the fifth delivery for a six over extra cover and the last ball for another six to long leg. Twenty five runs were scored off that over.

This onslaught reduced the target to a gettable 15 runs off 12 balls. Mithun who bowled the ninth over got Raza out for 27 to a brilliant catch by Shamsi, running backward to third man and taking a diving catch.

With ten runs needed off the last over, Asalanka bravely hit Azmatullah’s first ball for a six to long on. He also picked a single off the second delivery. Still three runs were needed off the last four balls. Nabi took a single off the third and Asalanka picked a double off the fourth when Zazai at mid-wicket put down his catch. Chennai Braves thus won the match with two balls to spare. Asalanka remained unbeaten on 22 to prove that fortune also favours the brave.

Brief scores:
Chennai Braves bt Northern Warriors by 5 wkts. Northern Warriors 106 for 3 in 10 overs (Hazratullah Zazai 54, Adam Hose 24n.o, Mohammad Nabi 2 for 11) Chennai Braves 107 for 5 in 9.4 overs (Stephen Eskinazi 22, Charith Aslanaka 22n.o, Sikandar Raza 27, Abhimanyu Mithun 2 for 11)
Player of the Match: Sikandar Raza