The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Abbas Ali sets up easy win for Delhi Giants

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Abbas Ali sets up easy win for Delhi Giants

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Left-handed Abbas Ali smashed an unbeaten 64 and raised a match-winning fifth-wicket stand of 61 runs with South Africa’s Nic Pothas to ensure a comfortable six-wicket victory for Delhi Giants over Mumbai Champs in the Indian Cricket League’s Edelweiss 20s Challenge at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium at Punchkula here on Monday.

Chasing a none-too-formidable 115 for five scored by Champs, Giants reached the target with 10 deliveries to spare.

Abbas hit two sixes and seven boundaries in his 49-ball stay. Pothas kept him company till the job was done with a 24-ball 18 including two fours.

Early blows

The early exit of opener Mohnish Mishra and Marvan Attapattu reduced Giants to 11 for two in the third over.

But off the very next over, bowled by Tino Best, Abbas took 16 runs including a six over long-off and two boundaries to set the momentum.

Abbas, in the company of Avishka Gunawardene (17 off 20 balls) dominated the proceedings. After Gunawardene and Abhinav Bali departed off successive overs, it was Abbas and Pothas all the way.

Good start

Batting by choice, Champs was off to a reasonably good start with Sri Lankan Saman Jayantha (19, three 4s) and Dhiraj Jadhav (27, two 4s) raising 41 runs in 6.5 overs.

Once Dale Benkenstein was introduced, Jayantha holed out to Bond at long off. Thereafter, Murtaza struck vital blows.

The Allahabad youngster had Jadhav stumped and later bowled Shreyas Khanolkar to peg back Mumbai Champs.

Skipper Nathan Astle struggled for 37 deliveries spread over 13.1 overs and that brought Champs under pressure. He did hit two sixes but it was not enough.

The scores: Mumbai Champs 115 for five in 20 overs (Nathan Astle 32 not out, Dhiraj Jadhav 27, Ali Murtaza two for 16) lost to Delhi Giants 116 for four in 18.2 overs (Abbas Ali 64 not out, Pothas not out 18).

Tuesday’s match: Chennai Super Stars v Lahore Badshahs.

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