Thanks to a fine display of accurate bowling backed by some excellent fielding, Team Abu Dhabi derailed Morrisville Samp Army’s batting to pull off an 18-run win. At the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Team Abu Dhabi could post only 100/3 in 10 overs. However, Peter Hatzoglou (3/6) and Andrew Tye (3/17), backed by Fabian Allen (2/24), restricted Samp Army to 82/9.

At one stage, Samp Army were tottering at 28 for 8 in 6.1 overs before UAE’s Basil Hameed hit an unbeaten 47 off 18 balls with five sixes and three boundaries to give some respect to his team’s total.

Team Abu Dhabi won the toss and elected to bat as Samp Army’s Ahmed Raza bowled the first over. He struck on the first ball, dismissing the dangerous Alex Hales. The ball spun past his forward defence to hit the bails.

James Vince, who joined his captain and opener, Chris Lynn, hit the third ball from Raza for a six to deep mid-wicket.

Vince also hit George Garton, who bowled the second over to two consecutive boundaries off the fifth and sixth deliveries. Raza was also hit to deep mid-wicket for a boundary by Vince in the third over. From the fourth over, Lynn began to hit out. He hit Dwaine Pretorius for two sixes, one to deep square leg and another over backward point. Team Abu Dhabi picked 18 runs off that over.

Anrich Nortje bowled the fifth over and conceded only a boundary to Lynn. At the halfway mark, Team Abu Dhabi were 57/1. Karim Janat was also hit for only one boundary by Vince in the sixth over.

At a time when Team Abu Dhabi should have started scoring briskly, they began to lose wickets. Chamika Karunaratne removed Lynn, who hit straight to David Miller at long-on for 35. Brandon King fell to the very next ball, caught and bowled by Karunaratne.

Vince hit Nortje’s first delivery of the eighth over for a six over long-on. He also hit the fifth delivery for a boundary. Karunaratne was introduced for the ninth over. He bowled a brilliant over, conceding just six runs.

In the last over bowled by Karim Janat, Fabian Allen took a boundary off the third and final ball to take Abu Dhabi’s total to 100/3. James Vince remained unbeaten on 44 off 25 balls with five boundaries and two sixes.

Team Abu Dhabi’s opening bowler Naveen Ul Haq prevented opener Johnson Charles from getting any runs from the first five deliveries. Peter Hatzoglou struck with the second ball off the second over, getting Charles caught by Allen at mid-wicket. With the last ball, Hatzoglou got Moeen Ali out for a duck when Allen took a brilliant leaping one-handed catch at cover.

Adil Rashid, too, bowled a good third over to Karim Janat. Just nine runs came from that over despite a boundary. Andrew Tye struck with the first ball of the fourth over, dismissing Janat.

0Shimron Hetmyer walked in and hit the first ball he faced for a boundary past point. Tye removed Hetmyer with the last ball of that over caught by Sharafu at long-off.

David Miller was clean bowled by Hatzoglou for one with a beauty of the first ball of the fifth over. At the halfway mark, Samp Army were tottering at 23/5, needing 78 from the last five overs.

Fabian Allen quickened Samp Army’s end, knocking over Dwaine Pretorius and George Garton. On the first ball of the seventh over, Tye had Chamika Karunaratne caught by Lynn for two.

Basil Hameed walked in, hitting Tye’s fifth delivery for a six. In the eighth over, Hameed hit Rashid for a boundary and a six off the first two deliveries. Hameed also hit the fourth ball for a six while smashing the fifth for a four, taking the score past the 50-run mark.

In the end, Basil Hameed remained unbeaten on 47 to reduce the margin of defeat.

Brief scores: Team Abu Dhabi 100/3 in 10 overs (Chris Lynn 35, James Vince 44, Chamika Karunaratne 2/13) beat Morrisville Samp Army 82/9 in 10 overs (Basil Hameed 47*, Peter Hatzoglou 3/6, Andrew Tye 3/17, Fabian Allen 2/24). Player of the Match: Peter Hatzoglou