Time to say goodbye to this game and say hello to the Eliminator between Deccan Gladiators and Bangla Tigers. New York Strikers will sit and wait to see their opponents in the final. I am AkshayaKrishna Polya, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Deepak Prakash, who, alongside our scorer/analyst Yogesh Kumar, brought you all the live-action of this game. We will meet in another fixture. Until then, it's cheers!
Kieron Pollard (New York Strikers Captain): "Obviously happy with the team's performances! The fans might not be happy, though! At the toss, I was happy batting first. Because we saw the last night, how the pitch behaved.
Not at all surprised with Akeal Hosein's performances. I have seen him since his childhood, and that bonding is always there with him. Obviously, having those bowling figures might surprise, but with Akeal that is what you get. He has delivered time and time again. Even in the international circuit, he has risen up in the ranks by delivering consistently. Happy for him. He has limited variations, but he is developing each passing game.
The credit will go to the whole team. We are giving opportunities to plenty of fresh faces, and they have chipped in, making the most of it.
We have now gotten to the second consecutive final. Last time, we were runners-up, but this time, we want to go one step further.
No plans or meetings for the night. We have been playing for four... five consecutive days now. Tomorrow it will be the sixth day. So the boys have different ideas. They want a quick break and we don't restrict them as well. Some will go to malls, some will enjoy the pool, and some will do their own chores to be mentally free."
Akeal Hosein (POTM): "Great Feeling, Great Feeling!!!
It's basically to use what's working for you. I am a spinner, if it's spinning, I will spin the ball. If it is swinging, I would do that as well. I stood up at the top of the mark with a clear mind and just bowled as to what my instincts said.
The celebrations come from FIFA, and my little brother also suggests some (chuckles).
Look, when I played this tournament for the first time, legend Dwayne Bravo advised me to take this format as a challenging one as this is the hardest every format to bowl."
Player of the Match: Akeal Hosein (2-0-6-5) is the best ever figures in T10!
Power Hitter of the Match: Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Magic Moment of the Game: Akeal Hosein
7:06 PM IST and 5:36 PM Local Time: We are ready with the post-match presentations...
6:53 PM IST and 5:23 PM Local Time: An unreal bowling display from Akeal Hosein, who scalped five wickets in his two overs, giving away only 6 runs, including a magical hat-trick in the opening over, has steamrolled the table toppers Morrisville Samp Army in the first Qualifier!
New York Strikers win by 41 runs and move proudly to the grand finale that will take place at the same venue tomorrow (December 9). On the other end, the Samp Army will have another shot at the finale, as they will face the winner of the Eliminator in the second Qualifier later tonight.
The stand-in skipper of the Samp Army, Faf du Plessis, won the toss and decided to bowl first. Riding on the superb half-century from a half-fit (swollen fingers on the right hand), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (56 off 28) and a couple of cameos by Asif Ali (17* off 7), Odean Smith (6 off 2) and Chamika Karunaratne (7* off 2), the Strikers posted 121/5 in 10 overs.
Despite losing the partners at the other end, Gurbaz kept things together for the Strkers and in the end, it was more than enough to seal the deal for his franchise. Qais Ahmad scalped two wickets, while Holder, Janat, and Irfan picked a wicket each.
Akeal Hosein (2-0-6-5) ran through the Samp Army batting line-up and showed immense dance moves. The match was done and dusted in the first over itself. Three of the top four batters didn't even open their accounts. Jason Holder (22 off 11) and Qais Ahmad (31* off 13) showed some fight and got their team's score to 80/9 in 10 overs.
The impact player, Muhammad Jawadullah, grabbed a couple of wickets. Sunil Narine was economical and picked one wicket, while Karunaratne, too, picked one wicket but was expensive. The thing that matters the most is that New York Strikers have made it to the finals for the second consecutive time!!!