Liam Livingstone is one of the most destructive batsmen in the game and on Saturday against Northern Warriors, he showed why.
Walking out to the middle after Team Abu Dhabi had lost two wickets by the fourth over, Livingstone smashed eight sixes and a couple of fours in a blistering 23-ball 68 not out that helped his team post 132-5 in their Abu Dhabi T10 clash.
His innings set the platform for his team to make it two from two with victory over the Warriors on Day 2 of the tournament at Zayed Cricket Stadium.
The Warriors lost opener Moeen Ali off the second delivery but Kennar Lewis (35 off 17 balls), and the captain Rovman Powell (19-ball 42) kept their team’s hopes alive until Marchant de Lange provided a double blow.
Naveen ul Haq then took two wickets, including the dangerous looking Powell, in the next over to restrict the defending champions to 111-7 for their second defeat in as many games.
In the earlier game, a 94-run stand between Tom Moores and Andre Russell, and two wickets in the opening over from Wahab Riaz was just what Deccan Gladiators needed to kick-start their campaign.
Playing in the first of the three games on the night, the Gladiators made short work of Chennai Braves.
The Gladiators, sent into bat first, lost three wickets for 52 in the fifth over, two of them to spectacular catches in the outfield.
However, they never took their foot off the gas with Moores and Russell taking them to 146-3, a total they defended easily by restricting Braves to 122-4.
Moores and Russell both faced 17 balls each and hit 47 and 43 respectively, and feature in the unfinished partnership off 32 balls.
Angelo Perera (60) and Ravi Bopara (51) kept the chase alive with a 109-run stand but they were far from challenging the Gladiators at any stage of the game.
