The Deccan Gladiators did not hold back and earned themselves the 2024 Abu Dhabi T10 title on Sunday with an eight-wicket victory against Morrisville Samp Army in the final held at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. The 2024 championship is the third for the Gladiators, who also won the T10 in 2021 and 2022 and remain one of the top teams in the history of the competition.
Last year, the Deccan Gladiators secure their third Abu Dhabi T10 title with an emphatic 8-wicket win over Morrisville Samp Army. Deccan Gladiators placed second and could have won it in 2023 but were second best in the deciding match. This was not the case in this season’s final, however. Pursuing a moderate target of 105, the team went berserk and finished the 105-run chase in 6.5 overs for the loss of two wickets.
Kohler-Cadmore and Pooran Lead the Charge
The exhibitionist of the match was batsman Tom Kohler-Cadmore who finished the game with an aggressive style smashing 56 not out off just 21 balls comprising five boundaries and four sixes. His intense strike rate acted as the precursor for the chase, as Kohler-Cadmore easily overpowered the Morrisville’s bowlers.
To make the party even bigger, he was assisted by captain Nicholas Pooran, who delivered an enormous punch as he scored 28 in the match off just 10 balls. The couple was on top of the game when completing the target, being sure of the Deccan Gladiators’ grasp of the tempo for the whole encounter.
Restricting the Opponents
Previously, the Deccan Gladiators had put on a solid bowling effort as they managed to restrict Morrisville Samp Army to a lowly score of 104 for seven wickets in their 10 overs. Even though Faf du Plessis, the South African player, did well to score 34 runs off 23 balls, Morrisville never looked to be in any danger and were easily contained by the organized Gladiators attack.
Richard Gleeson, the Deccan Gladiators’ best bowler grabbed the moment and made 2 wickets conceding 16 runs in just 2 overs. He was focused at taking wickets and controlling the flow of runs in the innings.
Samp Army’s Road to the Final
In Qualifier 2, the Morrisville Samp Army beat Delhi Bulls and reached the finals with an exciting five-wicket win. The team lost only five wickets in chasing down a tough target of 90, as they struggled against the Bulls’ bowlers but eventually secured the win.
Andries Gous was also crucial for the Samp Army, scoring a gutsy 38 runs while being targeted by particularly aggressive bowling and during a very tough phase of the match. Despite being hit on the helmet by Pakistani pacer Salman Irshad, the USA international showed remarkable ability to keep his head cool.
Eventually, though, he managed to seize control of events through two quick wickets which forced Samp Army to require 30 runs off 6 balls but with only five wickets in hand.
Imad Wasim’s support and quick runs enabled them to regroup, and they both started to hit boundaries towards the end of the innings. The Sampson Armee of Samuel Army reached the final by winning three balls to spare through Jack Taylor who contributed significantly with 23 runs off 11 balls.
Bulls Stifled by Samp Army Bowlers
Samp Army began the day with some fantastic bowling, putting the Delhi Bulls batting order into disarray. Thanks to the Sri Lankan pacer Isuru Udana and the Afghan spinner Amir Hamza, the Bulls barely made 89 runs in ten overs, scoring 89/7 in the end.
The Bull’s score was not enough as Udana had already helped himself to 3 wickets for 17 runs, while Hamza went for 22 runs and took two wickets as well. Once again, Udana proved his skill with the bat as well and won the Player of the Match because Samp Army never had to look back after that.
Gladiators’ Legacy in Abu Dhabi T10
Stunningly winning their third title in four years, the Deccan Gladiators are now almost invincible in the Abu Dhabi T10 covering all part of the game, both under pressure and consistently. The Deccan Gladiators are a team worth watching.
The final of 2024 proved their mettle in preparation as well as execution and their desire to win. Starting from the bat of Kohler-Cadmore in the finals to the ball of Gleeson in defense, this victory was historic and every player contributed.
A Celebration of Cricket
The Abu Dhabi T10 League keeps on delivering fantastic cricketing entertainment from star international players in a quick format. The season came to an end with a wonderful finale and the fans look ahead to the next year’s edition.
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