Dubai: Despite losing the Qualifier to the Shahid Afridi-inspired Pakhtoons, Northern Warriors bounced back in style with a 10-wicket win over Maratha Arabians in the Eliminator 2 to book their place in the final of the T10 League at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
With this emphatic win, the Warriors have set up a final with Afridi’s Pakhtoons.
The final will be played on Sunday (8pm).
Meanwhile, Maratha Arabians will take on Bengal Tigers in a third-place match on Sunday (5:45pm).
Maratha Arabians, which beat Bengal Tigers in Eliminator 1, could only make 72/8 in 10 overs after being put into bat by Warriors captain Darren Sammy.
South African pace bowler Hardus Viljoen (3/6) was the best Warriors bowler in the match, while veteran Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz (2/7) and West Indies pacer Andre Russell (2/21) also impressed with the ball.
Maratha Arabians never recovered after losing Alex Hales (6) in the second over of their innings.
The England opener hit a stunning 87 in Eliminator 1 against Bengal Tigers.
But once South African off-spinner Chris Green (1/16) dismissed him in his first over, Maratha Arabians never recovered as they lost wickets at regular intervals.
Such was the dominance of Northern Warriors that only opener Hazratullah Zazai (15, 7 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) and captain Dwayne Bravo (13, 12 balls, 1 six) reached double figures.
In reply, the Warriors’ West Indian openers Nicholas Pooran (43 not out, 16 balls, 5 fours, 3 sixes) and Lendl Simmons (31 not out, 14 balls, 4 fours, 2 sixes) just toyed with the Maratha bowlers as they helped the team reach the target in just five overs.
