Montreal Tigers triumphed over the Toronto Nationals by 23 runs after a wet outfield forced a delayed start, reducing the match to six overs a side at the TD Cricket Arena, here.
Fans were treated to high-octane action as Chris Lynn and Muhammed Waseem played breathtaking strokes in a partnership of 63 runs to set up the Montreal Tigers for a big victory on Sunday night. Their efforts were furthered by a solid display from the Tigers’ bowling attack.
The Toronto Nationals won the toss and elected to field first. However, openers Chris Lynn (38 not out) and Muhammad Waseem (24) unleashed a barrage of power-hitting.
At the end of the two-over powerplay, the Montreal Tigers were 26/0. The second and third overs proved to be massively lucrative for the Tigers with 35 runs coming off them as the opening duo took apart Saad Bin Zafar and Zaman Khan.
The onslaught continued when Sikandar Raza was dispatched for 18 runs, soon after. Faheem Ashraf earned the Nationals a reprieve when he dismissed Mohammad Waseem in the penultimate over, conceding 13 runs. Sherfane Rutherford (8) took little time to join the offense but was run out as Zaman Khan delivered a top-quality final over, conceding just two runs to limit the Montreal Tigers at 77/2.
The Nationals began their chase with openers, Darren Bravo (15) and JJ Smit (16) bogged down by a shrewd four-run over from pacer, Kaleem Sana. At the end of the two-over powerplay the Nationals were falling behind at 19/0.
Andre Russell, making his first appearance of the tournament, bowled well to limit the Tigers to just nine runs in the third over and turn up the pressure. While both openers showed intent, they struggled to find boundaries. Muhammad Afridi bowled another disciplined over conceding just six runs, before Darren Bravo and JJ Smit tactically retired out in quick succession to bring in Sikandar Raza (7) and skipper Hamza Tariq (10).
Andre Russell bowled a tight fifth over conceding only six runs. Facing an insurmountable target of 37 runs in six balls, the Nationals inevitably fell short by the end of the innings at 54/2 to give the Tigers a dominant 23 run victory.
Meanwhile, the first encounter of the day between the Brampton Wolves and the Mississauga Panthers was abandoned due to a wet outfield, forcing both teams to walk away with a point each.
Brief scores:
Montreal Tigers 77/2 in 6 overs (Chris Lynn 38, Muhammad Waseem 24; Faheem Ashraf 1-13) beat Toronto Nationals 54/2 in 6 overs (JJ Smit 16 retd out, Darren Bravo 15 retd out) by 23 runs.
-IANS
