Alex Hales stars as Abu Dhabi defeat Northern Warriors for first win

Hosts take the points after openers fire

Alex Hales hit 44 to guide Team Abu Dhabi to an eight-wicket win over Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Saturday, November 27, 2022. - T10

Team Abu Dhabi finally got their campaign up and running in the Abu Dhabi T10 on Saturday, getting the better of Northern Warriors by eight wickets.

Abu Dhabi's bowlers did well to restrict the Warriors to 95 for seven. Peter Hatzoglou was the pick, the leg spinner returning excellent figures of 2-0-6-1 in a format in which every dot ball is gold.

Andrew Tye provided the break by removing Kennar Lewis in the third over at 15, and Hatzoglou accounted for Adam Lyth.

Local lad Kamran Atta, a late recruit to stand behind the stumps, whipped the bails off in a flash from a Naveen ul Haq throw to get rid of Usman Khan in the very next delivery to leave the Warriors at 40 for three after six overs.

The Warriors captain Rovman Powell produced a little cameo knock, smashing four sixes and a four in a 10-ball 29 to give his team some respectability.

The Abu Dhabi openers Chris Lynn and Alex Hales were clinical in the chase, maintaining more than 10 runs per over.

Hales fell for 44 (off 25) and Lynn for 31 (20), leaving James Vince (18) and Brandon King (1) to take their team over the line with a couple of balls to spare.

In the early game, Eoin Morgan struck 42 not out from 23 deliveries for New York Strikers to clinch a last-ball thriller over Deccan Gladiators to register their second win in three games.

Akeal Hosein (2 for 9) and Matiullah Khan (0-12) bowled a tidy combined four overs to restrict the Gladiators to 109 for seven.

Odean Smith coming in at No 7 hit three sixes and three fours in a 19-ball 38 to lift his team’s score after they slumped to 37 for five approaching the halfway stage.

Andre Fletcher (16 off 6) and Paul Stirling (25 off 11) gave their side a flying start before Morgan and Azam Khan (26 off 20) completed the job for an eight-wicket triumph.

The Strikers required six from the final over Josh Little’s final over, and Morgan and Khan kept their cool to take them over the line with four singles and a two in an eventful over.