Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

First three games of this tempting sideshow began today.

The last of the three games between Lahore and Abu Dhabi saw a draw....but no super over. Corey Anderson's 43 off 22 saw Abu Dhabi to 103-6 before Lahore matched them for the loss of 3 wickets.

In the other two matches Delhi beat Deccan (in an IPL throwback game) whilst the Northern Warriors beat Maratha.

It's hard for bowlers in this tournament but Migael Pretorious stood out for Deccan as they beat Bangla. Pretorious got three wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings to hold Bangla to 108 - a total Deccan overturned with two balls remaining.

Karnataka comfortably beat Delhi and Lahore annihilated Northeen Warriors. It is remarkably even thus far with Deccan and Delhi both having one won and lost one in Pool A with Lahore at the top of Pool B with one win and one loss.

Lot of the players saying the switch from Sharjah to Abu Dhabi has helped the bowlers and this was born out today in a few of the games - most notably with Mitchell McClenaghan getting two wickets in his two overs to remove the Lahore openers and help Maratha to the win.

In the other games a 40 from Luke Wright saw Abu Dhabi comfortably beat Northern Warriors while Karnataka lost to Bangla.

Insanely all four teams in Pool A have won win and a loss each with Lahore and Abu Dhabi tied at the too of Pool B.

Another three games today.

In the first game, that evergreen journeyman Kieron Pollard came good again as his score of 45 off 22 helped Deccan to 111-5, comfortably beating the total that Karnataka set.

In the final game, there was yet another tied match....remember when those seemed a rarity. Bangla and Delhi both got 108. Kusal Perera was the stand out player with an 18 ball 43 who struck the boundaries with consummate ease.

The middle game was something of a damp squib with Maratha's 138 being far too good for Abu Dhabi.

Deccan now top Pool A with Maratha at the top of the tree in Pool B.

Into the super league of this tournament as Karnataka have been knocked out and Maratha go straight through and another good day for bowlers in this tournament; most notably Qais Ahmed who got 3-8 in his two overs, helping Bangla beat Abu Dhabi. Not bad for the Afghanistan and Gloucestershire player.

In the other two games Northern Warriors beat Delhi and Deccan beat Lahore.

Bangla's under par 102 was enough today thanks to 3-14 from an imperious David Wiese which limited Northern Warriors to a mere 96 in the only completed game of the day.

Eventual England International Tom Banton was the star of the league today as he scorched a 28 ball 80 with 9 fours and six sixes helping to get Lahore to 130-7 - a target far in excess of anything Karnataka could muster.

In the evening match, a similar performance from Shane Watson saw him run out the loser as his 75 runs from 35 balls was not enough for Deccan to overhaul Northern Warriors' 107.

In the other game a huge score of 146 was far far too much for Delhi to overturn.

Maratha, Bangla and Deccan are all tied on seven points - however the former have a game in hand.

Abu Dhabi beat bottom of the table Karnataka by 34 runs, thanks to another good innings from Luke Wright who got 57 off 30. Wright is now the second highest run scorer in the tournament with 208 across 6 games. His Abu Dhabi side for to 128-2 whilst Karnataka could only get to 94.

In the other games of the day Lahore beat Delhi whilst table toppers Maratha beat Bangla.

Seems a bit of a trend in this tournament that big individual totals don't always add up to victory. Rilee Rossouw's 55 off 29 was the highest score of the day in the match between Bangla and Deccan; however his team got knocked out after having their total of 107 met with 5 balls left.

Deccan went on to beat Lahore thanks to an all- round performance from Ben Cutting.

Maratha progressed to the final straight away where they will now meet Deccan.

Quite rightly, Maratha comprehensively beat Deccan to claim the trophy today.

The team have been leagues ahead all season and overhauled the total of 87 with ease.

Chadwick Walton was able to play with some freedom to get 51 off 26 balls with 6 fours and 3 sixes.

This carnival of frippery kicked off again today. Completely meaningless but a diversion at a time when we need them.

Caught parts of all three games.

First Maratha beat Northern Warriors. Maratha were asked to chase 127 and it took a last ball 4 for last year's winners to claim it. Abdul Shakhoor was the driving force. He first go a 50 in 14 balls before going on to 73 off 28.

Nasir Hossain led from the front for Pune as they defeated Deccan today. It is rare for a bowler to stand out but his 3-18 off 2 overs stunted Deccans flow and allowed Pune to get to the total of 104 with 4 balls to spare.

In the final fixture, Johnson Charles looked top drawer for Bangla as he contributed 73 to an opening stand of 101 – however the eventual total of 128. Delhi got there in 8.5 overs. Charles gave Shahkoor a run for his money as he got to his 50 in 20 balls.

Only caught one of these games today. In it Delhi beat a limp looking Maratha, needing just 5 overs to overhaul their diminutive total of 87. One's eye is drawn to Evin Lewis who got 55 off just 16 balls in a great win.

In the other games Qalanders beat Pune and Deccan beat Abu Dhabi.

Managed to get the two later games under my belt tonight.

In the first, Qalanders made light work of Abu Dhabi's total of 100. Qalanders did not really have to break a sweat and their top scorer, Sharjeel Khan, had a parochial T10 SR of 190.48.

In a more spectacular batting performance, Nicholas Pooran got 54 off 21 to help the Northern Warriors get to 137. Delhi never looked in it and fell 32 runs shy.

In the first match, Bangla beat Maratha.

I watched the end of the match on free sport last night. So many fours and sixes that it was actually rather boring.

Durhamfootman wrote:I watched the end of the match on free sport last night. So many fours and sixes that it was actually rather boring.

As if to prove your point, Pooran went on another mad one today and did this 0,0,1,6,4,6,6,0,6,0,1,6,6,6,1,0,6,1,4,6,6,6,6,4,1,0 for the Northern Warriors.

His 26 ball 89 in the first innings made the chase a dead rubber as Bangla fell 30 runs short.

The evening game wasn't much tighter...and actually went to the same format. Sohail Akhtar's 31 ball 71 put Qalandars in the driving seat and Deccan absolutely ballsed up the chase eventually ending on 85-8. Sohail has now scored 131 across 3 fixtures without being dismissed.

Abu Dhabi beat Pune in the opening match of the day.