Abu Dhabi, UAE – 18 November 2019: Kieron Pollard has pulled victory from the jaws of defeat at the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10, when he single-handedly led the Gladiators in a ruthless fight back against a dominant Karnataka Tuskers. Captain Hashim Amla’s side posted strong batting and bowling performances, but could not overcome the strength of Pollard’s big hitting, losing the team’s second consecutive match.

Shane Watson’s Deccan Gladiators put the Karnataka Tuskers into bat, and the men in light-blue attempted a fast-paced charge to post a target with a comfortable margin. Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis began the innings, seeking to find a foundation on which to build, before Lewis was bowled in the third over by   an electric Zahir Khan delivery. Hashim Amla picked up the chase and sought with Charles to find the boundary rope in the face of the Gladiators’ bowling attack.

The Gladiators’ pierced the Tuskers’ partnership with the wicket of Charles for 35 off a quick 18 deliveries. English county cricketer Ross Whiteley joined Captain Amla at the crease, adding thirteen runs to the Tuskers’ scoreboard, before being caught by Watson at the end of the penultimate over. Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Amla completed the Tuskers’ innings, posting a high but not impossible target of 110 to beat.

Captain Shane Watson lost his wicket in the first over of the Gladiators’ innings, setting the omen for a top order collapse that toppled Afghan Mohammad Shahzad for 13, England’s Dan Lawrence for 11, and Kiwi Anton Devcich for 5, leaving the Gladiators requiring a steep 74 runs from a short 33 balls.

The Tuskers victory seemed inevitable, until Kieron Pollard walked onto the pitch. Pollard blasted away the Tuskers’ bowling attack, swatting ball after ball to the boundary in spite of the Tuskers’ efforts. In the sixth over, Pollard pulled 30 runs onto the board, as the Tuskers sought to regain control in a match that was slipping from them. The loss of Sri Lanka’s Bhanuka Rajapaksa didn’t quell the Gladiators’ fight back, with tense aggression gripping the field through the final overs. Pollard closed the innings on 45 off 22, winning the match for the Gladiators by five wickets with nine balls remaining.

Shane Watson, Captain of the Deccan Gladiators, commented: “We are really fortunate to have a player like Pollard coming in to our middle over. The way he bats, like he showed today, he can take the game away from opponents in an over.”

Speaking after match, Hashim Amla, Captain of the Karnataka Tuskers, said: “Pollard played a seriously good knock, although we played a really good game. But when a player of his calibre delivers a performance like that, sometimes you just have to tip your hat to opponents and move on.”

The action of the fourth night of the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10 continues, with Team Abu Dhabi facing down the sharp bowling attack of the Maratha Arabians at 17:45, before the Delhi Bulls charge against the Bangla Tigers, starting at 20:00.

About Abu Dhabi T10

Abu Dhabi T10 is a professional ten-over format cricket league launched by T10 Sports Management and licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board and approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body of international cricket. It is the first ever internationally approved ten-over format league.

Matches have 10-over-a-side format and duration of 45 minutes a side, totalling 90 minutes of play. The tournament is played over ten days, with a round robin followed by semi-finals and the final. In August 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) officially sanctioned the league.

About Abu Dhabi Cricket

Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC) is supported by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and operates under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan.

ADC is ushering in an exciting new era of cricket in Abu Dhabi with significant investment in facilities and operational upgrades. In addition to the iconic Zayed Cricket Stadium the venue now boasts the following impressive facilities: 2 x floodlit nursery cricket ovals, international standard cricket nets facility, 4 x floodlit netball courts, 5-a-side “Soccer City”, 4 x multi-purpose floodlit AstroTurf pitches and 5 x FIFA approved grass, floodlit football pitches.

ADC was founded on 20th November 1996, with the impressive Zayed Cricket Stadium, considered among the world’s best, being completed in 2005. The Stadium’s inaugural international match was staged between India and Pakistan in April 2006 and was attended by 20,000 enthusiastic fans.

Zayed Cricket Stadium has hosted numerous domestic and international matches since that day. The electric atmosphere of the Pakistan vs. India match was rivalled when the Indian Premier League arrived in 2014.

2018 saw the stadium’s biggest season to date with over 75,000 fans flooding the stands throughout the 2018 ACC Asia Cup, Pakistan vs. Australia series, Pakistan vs. New Zealand series and of course the inaugural Abu Dhabi T20 – during which six of the world’s biggest T20 franchises descended upon the UAE capital to vie for championship honours.

Though cricket is at the core of operations, ADC also prides itself on the world-class facilities available, catering to sportsmen and women of all ages and abilities from elite international players to community sports enthusiasts.

In addition to the international cricket season that was, ADC has also welcomed and hosted the likes of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) England Lions for their 2018 tour of the UAE, New Zealand’s All Black 7s and Black Fern 7s rugby teams ahead of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby 7s (of which both teams emerged champions) and Japan, Oman, Syria, China, Yemen, Iran, Thailand, India and South Korea’s football training camps ahead of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

The facility has also been used by several other international associations as a winter training destination, most notably many professional English County teams who return year after year for their pre-season camps.

The recent investments to develop the facility have truly ensured that ADC is known for more than cricket. Indeed, Abu Dhabi Cricket has become the home for a range of coaching academies, clubs, groups and schools for football, touch rugby, netball, basketball, squash and much more.

About Abu Dhabi Sports Council

Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) was established in 2006 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

ADSC is aligned with the emirate’s leadership vision to develop sport and youth activities. The Council promotes an effective, emirate-wide sports calendar that stimulates the desire to participate in quality sports among all Abu Dhabi residents and helps the talented and motivated reach their sporting potential.

The Council also hosts and supports the staging of international world-class sporting events. These include: the annual Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA; the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; the ITU World Triathlon Series; the Gary Player Invitational; the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour, the Red Bull Air Race; the Mubadala World Tennis Championship; the 2017 and 2018 FIFA Club World Cups UAE; the 2019 AFC Asian Cup UAE and the UCI WorldTour event, The UAE Tour.

We at ADSC firmly believe that sporting events deliver a host of benefits for the emirate and its residents. These span improved health and wellness, the building of community spirit, the discovering of local talent and the delivery of international exposure of the emirate as a world-class sporting events hub.

Whether it is land, sea or air, we have sport covered.

For press enquiries please contact:

Matt Wickens
Four Communications
adcc@fourcommunications.com
+971 52 893 2016