Cayman Islands, Aug 20 (IANS) New York Strikers defeated Miami Lions by five wickets to register their first win in the Max60 cricket tournament being held at the Caymans Island on Monday.
Electing to bowl, Isuru Udana gave a perfect start to New York strikers, drawing the first blood in the final delivery of the opening over in the form of Chadwick Walton, caught by Brandon McMullen behind the stumps.
Unmukt Chand started with a bang with a boundary from Matiullah Khan before perishing in the next ball, caught by Troy Taylor at deep midwicket. Wickets fell like nine pins for Miami Lions as New York strikers struck at regular intervals to keep a tight leash on their opponents.
Thisara Perera then joined the party and accounted for Joe Burns before Mitchell Owen dismissed dangerous Corey Anderson, caught by Kennar Lewis in the next over. Owen struck once more two balls later, dismissing Ravi Bopara, again caught by Lewis as Miami Lions slumped to 22 for 5 after 4 overs. Angelo Perera then caught Jonathan Carter plumb in front of the wicket in the next over before Asghar Afghan was caught by Owen off the bowling of Carlos Braithwaite an over later. Perera got his second scalp of the day when he had Gerhard Erasmus caught by Ansh Patel.
Udana also got into the act again, inflicting twin blows in the ninth over, accounting for Ben Manenti, caught by Lewis and then cleaning up Anderson Phillip in the last ball of the ninth over to restrict Miami Lions to a below-par 52.
Chasing the paltry total, New York Strikers too did not have the best of starts, losing Chandrapaul Hemraj in the first ball of their innings, caught by Walton off Phillip. The Strikers were dealt a second blow in the next over in the form of Lewis, caught by Jonathan Carter off Mohammad Sajad Ahmadzai as the batter went for an ambitious pull over the square-leg boundary.
Perera then edged one to Corey Anderson off Phillip as the batter went for a huge hit over deep midwicket. McMullen took the attack to the opposition and stuck consecutive fours of Anderson in the next over.
But Ravi Bopara sent McMullen packing with Phillip taking a fine catch before Thisara Perera was run out. But with a low total to chase, the late wickets hardly mattered as New York Strikers romped home with 11 balls to spare.
New York Strikers will next play the Grand Cayman Jaguars on Wednesday (India time).
Brief scores:
Miami Lions 52 all out in 10 overs (Ben Menanti 14; Isuru Udana 3-6) lost to New York Strikers 57/5 in 8.1 overs (Colin Munro 18 not out, Brandon McMullen 10; Anderson Phillip 2-8) by five wickets.
–IANS
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