Delhi Bulls beat Bangla Tigers by seven wickets to record third consecutive win

 

Delhi Bulls beat Bangla Tigers by seven wickets to record third consecutive win

2nd December 2023, Abu Dhabi: Delhi Bulls produced yet another superlative allround show to down Bangla Tigers by seven wickets in the 13th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. They strangled Bangla Tigers’ run flow through a fine spell of three wickets for four runs by Richard Gleeson backed by Fazalhaq Farooq’s (2 for 15). In the ten overs, Bangla Tigers could muster only 81 for 7.

Delhi Bulls raced to the target in just six overs riding on skipper Rovman Powell’s unbeaten 37 off 11 balls with four sixes and two boundaries, and Rilee Rossouw’s unbeaten 21 off 11 balls that included a boundary and a six. Delhi thus recorded their third consecutive win in three matches.

Delhi Bulls’ tight bowling display

Earlier, Delhi won the toss and elected to field. Bangla Tigers lost their opener Chris Lynn to the third ball of the first over who, while playing across to Fazalhaq Farooqi, got clean bowled for a duck. One-drop Kusal Mendis lasted just four balls to score six runs before being bowled of the third ball of the second over by Naveen Ul Haq. He attempted to play a sweep shott and missed.

Opener Jordan Cox hit Muhammad Rohid for a boundary through the extra cover off the first ball of the third over. He also hit a six off the third ball to deep mid-wicket and picked another boundary hitting over mid-off. Eighteen runs came off that over.

David Miller lasted only five balls to score two runs before holing out to Dwayne Bravo at extra cover off Richard Gleeson. This was followed by Gleeson removing Dasun Shanaka caught by Usman Khan at point for a duck off the third ball as well as Cox for 19, clean bowled with the fifth delivery while attempting a big shot. That over yielded only two runs and three wickets.

Fazalhaq, who was re-introdcued for the fifth over, had Benny Howell then caught by Usman at deep mid-wicket. It was a brilliant run and a diving catch.

Bangla Tigers, at the half way mark, were tottering at 38 for 6. Veteran Bravo bowled a tight sixth over giving away just five runs and Naveen Ul Haq, who bowled the seventh over, yielded just four runs. Gleeson too strangled the run flow giving away just three runs in the eighth. It was a treat to watch aggressive batsmen like Carlos Brathwaite and Daniel Sams being kept under check.

Bangla Tigers reached the 50 runs mark only of the last ball of the eighth over. Brathwaite hit Bravo for a boundary and a six of the third and fourth delivery of the ninth over. He also edged Bravo past the keeper and slip for another boundary but fell when he was brilliantly caught by Usman Khan at deep mid-wicket for 21. It was Usman’s third catch of the innings.

Sams hit the second and third ball of the last over for sixes – the first over mid-wicket and next over long-on. Sams remained unbeaten on 20 to ensure a total of 81 for 7.

Powell and Rossouw’s breezy partnership

The chase began with Bangla Tigers picking the valuable wicket of Quinton de Kock with the fourth ball of the first over, brilliantly caught by Cox at covers off Josh Little. Johnson Charles fell to Brathwaite in the second over, clean bowled for 1 while attempting a flick.

James Vince hit Little for a six and a boundary off the third and fourth deliveries of the third over. Little got Vince out with the last ball of that over by having him caught by Rohan Mustafa at backward square leg for 17.

Rilee Rossouw flicked Drakes for a six off the first ball of the fourth over. Skipper Rovman Powell played a spectacular cover drive off Sams for a boundary. He also hit Sams over mid-wicket for a six. At the end of the fifth over, Delhi needed 33 runs from the remaining five overs.

Powell hit Benny Howell for three consecutive sixes – two to long-off and another to long-on to speed up the race to the target. Rossouw hit the last ball of that over for a boundary to take 29 runs off that over.

Powell hit the victory run smashing Abdul Ghaffar to third man to record an emphatic win and remain unbeaten on 37 and put on an unbeaten 61 runs partnership in 20 balls for the fourth wicket with Rossouw (21n.o).

Brief scores
Delhi Bulls bt Bangla Tigers by 7 wkts. Bangla Tigers 81 for 7 in 10 overs (Daniel Sams 20n.o, Carlos Brathwaite 21, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2 for 15, Richard Gleeson 3 for 4)
Delhi Bulls 83 for 3 in 6 overs. (Rilee Rossouw 21n.o, Rovman Powell 37n.o, Josh Little 2 for 19)
Player of the Match: Richard Gleeson