Chennai Braves saw off the challenge of Bangla Tigers through a fine all-round performance from Carlos Brathwaite to seal a 33-run victory in the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday.
In the third match of the day, Chennai Braves scored 126 for 6 in 10 overs with Carlos Brathwaite scoring an unbeaten 44. Bangla Tigers were restricted to 93 with Brathwaite taking four wickets for three runs.
Chennai Braves won the toss and elected to bat. They lost their first wicket on the fourth ball of the first over when non-striker Adam Rossington was run out for 3 while trying to get back to the crease. One-down Michael Pepper started with a boundary off the last ball of Rohan Mustafa’s first over. Dawid Malan also started scoring unhindered from the second. He hit Mrittunjoy Chowdhury for two boundaries and a six in the second over. Pepper also hit a free in the third when he hit Shakib Al Hasan for two consecutive boundaries. By the sixth ball, Pepper had fallen for 13, with Iftikhar Ahmed taking a superb catch at the long-on fence without losing his balance.
Benny Howell was a poor fourth, completing just seven laps. Matheesha Pathirana struck a crucial blow with the first ball of the fifth over as Howell caught Dawid Malan at deep extra cover for 27. Runs became elusive for Chennai Braves when Raza bowled the sixth over. Apart from Brathwaite’s boundary hit, all the other deliveries were spot on.
Rohan Mustafa broke Raza’s knock and bowled him for 10. Brathwaite revived hopes of a 100-run total with a boundary and two sixes off Howell. Although Howell managed to catch Ross Whiteley and hit for 2 off the last ball of his over, 18 runs were scored. Mrittunjoy Chowdhury’s ninth over also produced 17 runs, with James Fuller hitting a six and a boundary.
A thrilling final over saw Brathwaite hit a six off the first ball of Ben Cutting and then hit a boundary off the third. Fuller fell short for 12 but Vriitya Aravind hit the first ball he faced for a six to secure a total of 126 for 6 in 10 overs. Brathwaite remained unbeaten on 44.
Bangla Tigers began their chase when they lost the prize wicket of Hazratullah Zazai to the third ball of Sikandra Raza’s first over. Pepper at deep mid-wicket did well with a catch inside the ropes. Although he lost his balance, Pepper threw the ball and returned to the field to complete the catch.
Evin Lewis picked a boundary off Raza’s last delivery while Iftikhar also got another boundary off Olly Stone’s first delivery. Stone hit an important shot off the third ball to bowl Lewis for 4. Iftikhar hit the fifth ball for a six and a boundary off the last ball. The third over was unremarkable apart from Colin Munro’s boundary to Patrick Dooley and two sixes. Munro and Iftikhat hit one six each off Fuller’s fourth over. Still, the required run rate was over 14 runs.
In the fifth over, Brathwaite had Munro caught by Sabir Rao at fine leg for 15. Brathwaite also had Ben Cutting with the next delivery caught by Raza at extra cover to have a chance at a hat-trick. Benny Howell prevented that from happening and at the halfway mark Bangla Tigers were reeling at 45 for 4.
Iftikhar continued his big shots and hit Dooley for two consecutive sixes, the first to mid-wicket and the next over extra covers. With the last ball of this over Dooley, Howell is caught and bowled for 4.
With 51 needed off the last 18 balls, Raza hit Shakib for a six off the fourth ball. The last ball of that over saw Iftikhar run out while defending at the non-striker for 49. His 20-ball knock had two boundaries and five sixes. Raza bowled only eights in this over.
Stone bowled the ninth, conceding just eight runs, and also took the wicket of Shakib Al Hasan, who was caught at mid-on by Brathwaite for 15 off the last ball. Rohan Mustafa joined Yasir Kalee with 35 runs needed, but Kaleem evaded Brathwaite, caught by keeper Rossington for 1. Brathwaite also cleaned up Mustafa for a duck to return with figures of 4 for 3.
*Short ratings:*
Chennai Braves vs Bangla Tigers by 33 runs. Chennai Braves 126 for 6 in 10 overs (Dawid Malan 27, Carlos Brathwaite 44n.o) Bangla Tigers 93 in 9.5 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 49, Olly Stone 2 for 23, Carlos Brathwaite 4 for 3)
Man of the Match: Carlos Brathwaite