Rovman Powell produced a spectacular knock to power Northern Warriors to their first win in four starts against Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 on Sunday.
The West Indian smashed nine sixes and a four in an unbeaten 28-ball 76 to take his team over the line by six wickets with four deliveries to spare at Zayed Cricket Stadium.
The Tigers elected to bat first and posted 117 for four after openers Hazratullah Zazai (37 from 21) and Joe Clarke (24 from 15) put on 64 in 33 deliveries before the latter fell to a Kennar Lewis catch behind off Mohammad Irfan.
Evin Lewis came in at No 4 and struck a 15-ball 38 with three sixes and a couple of fours.
It looked like a decent score when Tigers captain Shakib Al Hassan sent back Warriors openers Adam Lyth (1) and Lewis (8), but then Powell took centre stage with some spectacular strikes.
Powell described his six-hitting prowess as “just good eye-hand co-ordination” and a bit of strength.
“It was good to see to get our first win tonight. The T10 can be a long tournament and the momentum can change at any time in this format," he added.
“We messed up the first game, and had we got that, we could have been two from four, but unfortunately we are now three games down and one win.
“The guys have been upbeat. We have been trying to keep them motivated. We spend lot of time together watching a lot of football in the night to try to build up brotherhood. So far it’s coming on nicely.”
In the second game of the night, Morrisville Samp Army recorded their third win in a row with an emphatic victory over Chennai Braves.
Having begun their campaign with a defeat, the newcomers to the Abu Dhabi T10 emerged winners by eight wickets, with their Afghan international Karim Janat rounding off the game in style by hoisting Carlos Brathwaite to successive sixes.
Janat’s unbeaten 58 in 28 deliveries contained six sixes and a four. He shared a 76-run third wicket stand in 37-balls with David Miller (17) to finish the game with four balls to spare.
Anrich Nortje (2-11), Ahmed Raza (1-15) and Dwaine Pretorius (1-17) combined to bowl six tight overs to restrict the Braves, sent in to bat first, to 105 for four.
