Abu Dhabi T10 2021: Nicholas Pooran stars in Warriors' 30-run win over Bangla Tigers

The Northern Warriors registered a comprehensive 30-run win over the Bangla Tigers in their Abu Dhabi T10 2021 match and moved to the top of Group A.

The Tigers were set a massive 163 to chase and got off to the worst possible start after Wahab Riaz knocked Johnson Charles over off the third ball of their innings. Afif Hossain's stay at the crease was brief as well after he was outfoxed by Fabian Allen.

The 'spiceman', Andre Fletcher, was then joined by Emirati youngster Chirag Suri and the duo fought valiantly to keep the Tigers in the game. Fletcher scored a brisk 28-ball 53 and was well aided by Suri, who scored an unbeaten 42 from 16 deliveries. The duo shared a 68-run stand for the 3rd wicket.

However, with such a steep target to chase and with Fletcher having not completely recovered from a quadriceps injury, the 163-run target proved to be a little too much as the Tigers fell short by 30 runs.

Abu Dhabi T10 2021, NW vs BLT: Pooran scores a blitzkrieg 89 to take Warriors to 163

Nicholas Pooran (Image courtesy: Northern Warriors Twitter)

The highlight of the game was the Warriors' skipper Nicholas Pooran's 26-ball 89. Pooran decimated the Tigers' attack and his innings was studded with 12 maximums and 3 boundaries.

The southpaw looked well set to score the first ever hundred in Abu Dhabi T10 before he was given out rather controversially. Pooran smashed a delivery straight to Andre Fletcher at cover in the 9th over. However, replays showed that Fletcher initially dropped the catch before having a second swipe at it. It was a 50-50 call and third umpire decided to side with the bowler.

Pooran was well aided by his fellow West Indian Lendl Simmons who scored a neat 22-ball 41. Simmons chose to play second fiddle and witnessed Pooran's spectacular innings from the best seat in the house - the non-strikers end.

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