Chennai Braves (Asalanka 55, Haider 2-17, Howell 1-11) lost against Bangla Tigers (126 for 5) by 27 runs. Shanaka 34, Mendis 32, and Nabi 3-15 scored for the Bengals.
Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis’ impressive cameos helped the Bangla Tigers to a massive 126, which set them up for a 27-run victory over the Chennai Braves. With the win, the Tigers guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. They will play the Deccan Gladiators in the eliminator on Friday.
In response, Charith Asalanka hammered a half-century, but only two Braves batters finished in double figures. Asalanka hit 55 of their 99 runs during the run chase.
With Shanaka’s 34 from 15 balls and Mendis’s 32 from 15, they had little chance of surpassing the Tigers, who were 61 for 5 in the eighth over. Tigers were 44 for 3, but they added 55 for the fourth wicket together, but Benny Howell’s pivotal contribution was what changed everything. He was unbeaten at 16 after facing three balls, two of which went for sixes and the other for four.
Due to their victory, the Tigers are now fourth in the standings, trailing only the Deccan Gladiators in third place on net run rate.
Delhi Bulls 97 for 3 (Lyth 39*, Powell 31, Noor 1-8) lost to Team Abu Dhabi 100 for 3 (Mayers 61, Farooqi 1-10) by seven wickets.
With their last-ball victory, Team Abu Dhabi finally ended the campaign on a positive note and eliminated the Delhi Bulls’ aspirations of qualifying for the postseason.
Chasing 98, Abu Dhabi got off to a quick start thanks to 52 points in just 4.2 overs from Kyle Mayers and Tom Banton. Mayers scored the most of the runs, including four sixes off one over from Richard Gleeson. Although Banton appeared to be injured, Abu Dhabi was in complete control of the chase because to Mayers’ horrific actions. The victory appeared to be a formality with only six required off the last over, but Wasim Akram, a pacer from the United Arab Emirates, took just three wickets off the opening four deliveries and, more significantly, removed the scorching Mayers for 61 off 30 balls. In order to break their losing trend, Abu Dhabi needed two runs in the game’s penultimate ball. Colin Ingram would provide the necessary runs, flicking a low full-toss off the legs for four.
Bulls had earlier made 97 for 3, riding a 71-run partnership for the third wicket between captain Rovman Powell and batsman Adam Lyth. Bulls needed to win to make the playoffs. Powell was removed after just 20 balls, but Lyth was still undefeated at 39 after hitting three sixes and two fours, even though it was ultimately in vain.
New York Strikers 70 (Dickwella 18, Bas de Leede 3-13) were defeated by Samp Army 73 for 4 (Brevis 31*, Moeen 13, Ali Khan 2-16) by six wickets.
Samp Army easily defeated New York strikers by six wickets in a dress rehearsal for Friday’s qualifier between the top two teams, securing the top spot on the standings.
Batting first, the strikers were unable to form any significant partnerships as the side was steadily pinned back by consistent strikes from Bas de Leede (3 for 13), Jake Lintott (2 for 16), and Qais Ahmad (2 for 12). The Strikers were bowled out for 70 after only managing two sixes and four fours in their whole innings. The team’s leading scorer was 18-year-old Niroshan Dickwella.
Early wickets of Ibrahim Zadran for a duck and Monank Patel for four rattled Samp Army’s nerves in the chase, but an undefeated eighteen-ball thirty-one from Dewald Brevis restored the advantage. Strikers persisted in chipping away, but with 18 deliveries left, Brevis and Moeen Ali took 24 runs off an over from Odean Smith to end the chase at a canter.
