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A scintillating batting knock from Kusal Perera sealed the first win for New York Strikers in the seventh edition of Abu Dhabi T10 as the right-handed batsman struck a 20-ball fifty to help his side chase down a modest total of 102 with eight wickets in hand.
Strikers opted to bowl on a cool Abu Dhabi Night at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, and got the dangerous Chris Lynn out early. But last season's runners-up found themselves on the back foot with Jordan Cox and Kusal Mendis stitching a tremendous partnership. The momentum turned after the fifth over as Mohammad Jawadullah, and left-arm speedster Mohammad Amir pulled things back with economical spells. Chamika Karunarante picked three wickets to dismantle Bangla Tigers' middle order. After restricting Tigers to 101/7 in 10 overs, Perera and Muhammad Waseem took the game away from the opposition with the bat and Strikers went one up in the win column. Speaking on the performance skipper Kieron Pollard praised his teammates and credited them for the win. "I want to congratulate all the guys. They deserve the credits for performing like the way they did," he said, according to a release. On being asked about Perera's explosive innings, Pollard said, "The guys have the licence to go out, express themselves and execute their skills. It's T10 cricket. We will not hold them back in any form or fashion. If they get out doing so, and we lose wickets and come under pressure, we will accept that as part of the game." New York Strikers had begun their campaign this season with a loss to defending Champions Deccan Gladiators on Tuesday. Strikers Head Coach Carl Crowe further delved deeper into the discussions that went after the first game in the dressing room. "After the first defeat, we were looking to bounce back and we are really pleased we did that. We talked a lot about a comeback in the pre-match meeting. We had a good discussion, we were honest and recognised where we did well on Day 1 and where we can improve," Crowe said. "Last year as well, we lost our first game and then we bounced back. And we were able to do the same thing today. We had some tough times in the game. But when you got a cool captain that is composed like Pollard, nothing is ever an issue, nothing is unachievable. It was a real team performance," he added. Karunaratne, who picked three wickets in the day, also revealed how Pollard motivated the team in the middle. "The first 3-4 overs did not work for us. Pollard wanted a plan from all bowlers and we came together and set a field according to our plans. It started working. In the first 2-3 overs, they were attacking us, after that we thought if we continue to defend, they will attack. So we set an attacking field and we were able to get wickets at the right time," he signed off. New York Strikers will next face off against Northern Warriors on Friday. (ANI)
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