Abu Dhabi, UAE – Sunday 17 November 2019: The latest addition to the Aldar Properties Abu Dhabi T10, Team Abu Dhabi, has cemented their first victory of the championship, with Captain Moeen Ali leading the team to a crushing victory over the Northern Warriors in the tournament’s third day.

The Northern Warriors won the toss, electing to bat, being the first to choose to do so in the tournament. Former opener George Munsey was left in the dressing room, allowing Sam Billings and Darren Sammy to open the batting. The pair found an easy rhythm of quick runs, before Sammy was dismissed for 17 by Ben Laughlin.

Andre Russell replaced his fellow West Indian at the crease, but struggled to get balls past Team Abu Dhabi’s restrictive, but at times sloppy, fielding. With the Warriors at 59 by the seventh over, Russell and Billings fought to bring some big shots to the Warriors’ advantage, but struggled to find the distance against Abu Dhabi’s pace powerhouses of Laughlin, Gurney and de Lange, leaving the Warriors to defend a low 91.

Team Abu Dhabi began their chase in earnest, with Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella bringing the home-side eight runs in the first over, before losing his wicket in the second. The English pair Luke Wright and Moeen Ali didn’t allow Dickwella’s wicket to stop them, playing expressive and confident drives that found the boundary rope time and time again.

As the Arabian sun sunk over the capital city, Team Abu Dhabi crossed their half century at the 28th ball.

Wright and Ali opened up their arms, and in spite of Warriors’ bowlers such as Russell and Rayad Emrit, whirred balls far and wide. In spite of dismissing Wright for a run out on 48, and then Lewis Gregory for a duck, the Warriors seemed powerless to stop Team Abu Dhabi sealing their victory, who won by six wickets with nine balls remaining.

Captain of Team Abu Dhabi, Moeen Ali, said: “We were outstanding with the ball today. I couldn’t have asked for anything more for Russell to be not out but not to have got as many he would have liked to. I thought we were amazing.”

Speaking after the match, Darren Sammy said: “We’re disappointed. We still have an opportunity to finish in the top four, and make a run for the playoffs. The tournament is not over for us.”

The action of the evening continues with the Bangla Tigers squaring off against the Karnataka Tuskers at 17:45, before Team Qalandars meet the Maratha Arabians 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