ABU DHABI: Ajman Titans left-arm pacer Akif Javed delivered an outstanding spell to power his side to a 21-run victory over Deccan Gladiators in the 21st fixture of the Abu Dhabi T10 here on Wednesday.
Akif took three for five in his two overs, which restricted Gladiators to 88-7 in pursuit of a 110-run target.
Andre Russell (13) departed in the second over, caught by Alex Hales off Akif’s bowling. The towering pacer then castled Marcus Stoinis on the very next ball for a duck to put his side in a position of strength.
However, skipper Nicholas Pooran and Tom Kohler Cadmore stitched a 41-run stand, bringing the scorecard to 61 in 5.2 overs.
But it was Akif again, who removed dangerous Pooran, putting the Titans firmly on course for the victory.
Pooran hit two sixes and two fours in his 24 from 15, while Cadmore 32 from 23 deliveries was laced with three fours and a six.
After the solid stand, Gladiators lost wickets in quick succession, eventually resulting in a loss that puts them in second spot on the points table.
Akif Javed was named the player of the match for his outstanding performance.
Earlier, after being put into bat first, Ajman Titans racked up 109-6 at the end of their 10 overs.
Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel
Skipper Moeen Ali led the charge with a brisk 31 off just 12, studded with three sixes and two fours. Alex Hales and Aneurin Donald also contributed with the bat, scoring 24 and 25 runs respectively.
In the 22nd fixture of the tournament, Aspin Stallions defeated Royal Champs by a narrow seven-run margin.
Chasing 135, Champs managed to score 127-2 in their allotted 10 overs, courtesy of Brandon McMullen’s quick-fire 59* off 28 balls, laced with four sixes and an equal number of boundaries.
For Stallions, Binura Fernando and Karim Janat picked up one wicket each.
Aspin Stallions capitalized on the decision to bat first and amassed 134-5 in their allotted overs.
It was an all-round effort from Aspin Stallions, with each batter chipping in with vital contributions. Captain Rahmanullah Gurbaz remained the top scorer, hitting 30 off 12 with the aid of three sixes and a four.
For Royal Champs, Haider Razzaq managed to scalp two wickets.
Meanwhile, Northern Warriors also cruised to a 35-run victory over UAE Bulls in the opening fixture of the day.
Warriors set a massive total of 140 in their 10 overs, courtesy of Colin Munro’s whirlwind 77* from 35 deliveries. The soutpaw hit seven fours and half a dozen maximums in his knock.
In reply, the Bulls fell way short and were only able to muster 103-7 at the end of their innings.
Tim David remained the silver lining in the batting lineup, making 30 from 13 with the help of three fours and two sixes.
Shahnawaz Dahani, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Shahid Bhutta starred with the ball, with each taking two wickets in their two overs.
READ: Maaz Sadaqat signs with Janakpur Bolts for Nepal Premier League
