Deccan Gladiators Secure Final Spot for the Fourth Year in a Row at Abu Dhabi T10
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Abu Dhabi, Dec 1 (NationPress) Deccan Gladiators triumphed over Morrisville Samp Army, who had an outstanding performance in the round-robin phase, during Qualifier 1 of the 2024 Abu Dhabi T10 tournament held at Zayed Cricket Stadium.
With this commanding victory, the two-time champions Gladiators secured a place in the final for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time overall.
Thanks to some brilliant batting from their captain and West Indies star Nicholas Pooran, along with England's Tom Kohler-Cadmore, the Gladiators amassed an impressive total of 147/2 in just 10 overs. Pooran finished unbeaten with 72 runs off 33 balls, featuring five sixes and four fours.
Kohler-Cadmore also contributed significantly, scoring a swift half-century before getting out for 51 runs off 24 balls.
In response, Morrisville Samp Army began their chase positively, scoring 13 runs in the first over. However, the Gladiators' bowling attack quickly regained control as England pacer Richard Gleeson dismissed Charith Asalanka for just 1 run in the second over. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and the Samp Army struggled to reach 102/5.
Jack Taylor was the top scorer for the Samp Army with 25 runs off 14 balls, while wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous scored 22 off 14, and South African star Faf du Plessis added 21 runs off 10 balls.
For the Gladiators, Usman Tariq, Gleeson, and David Wiese took crucial wickets. Tariq's bowling figures of 2-19 in his two overs were instrumental in restricting the opponents' scoring rate. Gleeson and Wiese each claimed one wicket.
The Morrisville Samp Army are not out of the competition yet, as they will face the winner of Eliminator 2 in Qualifier 2. The Deccan Gladiators will compete against the winner of Qualifier 2 in the championship match on Monday.
