Muhammad Waseem stars in New York Strikers T10 win over Team Abu Dhabi

UAE batter hits unbeaten 45 in thumping seven-wicket victory at Zayed Cricket Stadium

Mohammad Taimur took four wickets for Delhi Bulls against Chennai Braves in the Abu Dhabi T10, on Friday, December 2, 2020. Photo: T10

New York Strikers seal top spot in the table at the Abu Dhabi T10 after a thumping seven-wicket win over Team Abu Dhabi at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Wahab Riaz grabbed three wickets while Rashid Khan and Tom Hartley bagged two each as Abu Dhabi slumped to 78-8 after being sent into bat.

The Strikers then lost Paul Stirling second ball of the innings to Naveen ul Haq but UAE international Muhammad Waseem showed his class with a 20-ball unbeaten 45 to ease his side over the line with 15 balls to spare.

Waseem smashed five sixes and two fours, while Kieron Pollard finished the game in style by hoisting Andrew Tye over long-on fence for six.

Earlier, Hartley provided the breakthrough for the Strikers by removing openers Chris Lynn (six) and Alex Hales (who top-scored for his team with 17) to leave Abu Dhabi at 38-2 before Riaz (3-9) and Rashid (2-12) gatecrashed the party to put their team firmly in the driving seat.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Taimur grabbed four wickets for Delhi Bulls to help crush Chennai Braves by 31 runs and move up from bottom of the table to fifth after their dead rubber.

The off-spinner from Gujaranwala struck thrice in his first over. He knocked back the off-stump of Kobe Herft (nine) with his first ball, then removed Carlos Brathwaite (four) caught and bowled, and James Fuller thanks to a catch by Tim David at long-on.

Dan Lawrence held the Braves inning together with a 25-ball 45 in their score of 88-7 in reply to the Bulls 119-4.

Taimur returned with excellent figures of 4-9 from his two overs while Mitchell Stanley chipped in with 2-16.

In the night's other game, Samp Army secured victory over Northern Warriors by five wickets with nine balls to spare.

That result moved them briefly to the top of the table ahead of the late game between the Strikers and Abu Dhabi.

Shimron Hetmyer top scored for Samp Army with an 18-ball 45 that contained five sixes and two fours.

He shared a 71-run stand for the second wicket with opener Karim Janat who slammed three sixes in a 12-ball 25 after Johnson Charles was out for a first ball duck.

Adam Hose stroked 54 from 25 balls with five sixes and four fours in the Warriors total 117-7.

On Saturday, the Strikers meet Samp Army in Qualifier 1 at 4pm followed by Team Abu Dhabi versus Deccan Gladiators in the eliminator.