Usman Khan and Adam Lyth’s superb knock saw Northern Warriors to victory over Chennai Braves in the 16th match of the sixth day of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday. Usman Khan scored a six-ball 24-ball 65 with five sixes, while Adam Lyth remained unbeaten on a 25-ball 54 with four four-ball boundaries and four sixes to help the Northern Warriors to a mammoth 141 for 3 in 10 overs.
Chasing the target, Chennai Braves managed just 107 for 5 in 10 overs
Northern Warriors won the toss and elected to bat. Usman Khan opened with Adam Lyth and was in a fighting mood from the start. He started by hitting Patrick Dooley’s fourth and fifth deliveries from the first over for a six to long-on and mid-wicket.
Usman continued with the big hits in Sam Cooke’s second over. After hitting Cook for a boundary to mid-wicket with the second ball, he lofted the fifth delivery over the covers for a six. Lyth, who watched Usman’s sixes, also hit Sikandar Raza for a six over long-on. Usman hit his fourth six to deep wicket in this over. Olly Stone’s fourth over had no boundaries for either net, but they made up for it in the fifth over. Usman hit James Fuller for a boundary and a six to take him to his half-century in 17 balls. He celebrated with a six to mid-wicket. At the halfway mark, the Northern Warriors were on a strong score of 79 not out.
The big hitting continued in the sixth over as Carlos Brathwaite was introduced into the attack. While Usman picked a boundary. Lyth hit a straight leg deep six to the deep. Usman’s superb knock came to an end in the seventh over when Stone caught him off the second delivery of Adhithya Shetty for 65. His 24-ball knock had six boundaries and five sixes. Captain Rovman Powell lasted just two balls to make it two runs before he hit Ross Whiteley high at long-on.
On the first ball of the over, Sherfane Rutherford got out as he was caught by Patrick Dooley for 1. Adam Hose also joined the six-hitting march, lifting Brathwaite to deep mid-wicket for a six. Lyth ended the innings by hitting the fifth and sixth deliveries of the last over for sixes to remain unbeaten on 54 off 25 balls. Northern Warriors posted a mammoth total of 141 for 3 in 1o over.
Chennai started the chase with openers Dawid Malan and Adam Rossington. Mohammad Irfan scored ten runs in the first over, although they needed to score more than 14 runs per over. Malan picked two boundaries off Abhimanyu Mithuna’s second over for 12 runs from that over.
Chasing such a big score required big hits every day. Any tight over would add to the pressure and Isuru Udana bowled a good third to beat the wicket of Adam Rossington as well. Rovman Powell took a brilliant, well-judged catch on the long-on boundary to end Rossington’s stay on the wicket of nine runs. Although Brathwaite hit Udana’s last ball for a six, only nine runs came off.
Brathwaite hit his second six off Junaid Siddique to deep midwicket. That brought 12 runs but the required run rate rose to over 16. Wayne Parnell took the prize of Malana who hit high into the hands of Adam Hose for 15. James Fuller, joining Brathwaite, bowled Parnell to deep behind for six. . At 59 for 2 and 83 needed from the last five overs, Udana returned for his second spell. Brathwaite and Fuller hit him for boundaries and 15 runs ended. Mohammad Irfan was introduced in the seventh over.
Brathwaite hit it hard for a boundary. He dismissed the dangerous Brathwaite on the fifth ball, caught by Lyth sweeping for 27.
With 62 needed off 18 balls, the Northern Warriors were on top. Sikandar Raza lofted Mithun to Powell for a duck at long-on and the Northern Warriors went for the kill chokes, conceding just five runs. In the ninth over, Parnell took out Ross Whiteley for 3, caught by Rutherford at mid-wicket. Vriitya Aravind hit Parnell’s next delivery for a boundary but only eight runs went off. Junaid Siddiqui, who also bowled the last over, did not let up and the Northern Warriors won by 34 runs.
Short reviews
Northern Warriors vs Chennai Braves by 34 runs. Northern Warriors 141 for 3 in 10 overs (Usman Khan 65, Adam Lyth 54, Olly Stone 2 for 27) Chennai Braves 107 for 5 in 10 overs (Carlos Brathwaite 27, James Fuller 36n.o, Wayne Parnell 2 for 24)
Man of the Match: Usman Khan