Abu Dhabi T10 League: Evin Lewis, Ravi Bopara star in Delhi Bulls' emphatic win over Qalandars

Abu Dhabi: Evin Lewis and Ravi Bopara scored 48 and 37 respectively to help Delhi Bulls snap Qalandars’ winning streak with an emphatic nine-wicket victory in a Super League match of the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament here. Delhi Bulls first restricted Qalandars’ formidable batting line-up to 107 for 6 and then overhauled the target with 16 balls to spare at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium. Opener Lewis’ 48 not out came off just 18 balls with five sixes and three boundaries, while Bopara remained unconquered on 37 off 15 balls with two sixes and five boundaries. The Bulls will take on Northern Warriors in the first qualifier. Put in to bat, Qalandars were 47 for 3 at the halfway mark. Skipper Sohail Akhthar was out for 14 off the bowling of Dwayne Bravo. Opener Tom Banton top-scored with a 26 before he was run-out. Samit Patel hit the last delivery of the innings to the long-off boundary and got 20 runs for his team off the final over. Chasing the target, Lewis smashed the first delivery of the third over for a boundary to long off and pulled the next one for a six. The third delivery was also hit effortlessly for a six. Bopara hit Chris Jordan for a six to long-on to steer the team past the 50-run mark in 3.1 overs. Lewis did not spare the accurate Jordan too and hit him for a six to mid-off to take 16 runs off the over. At the half way mark, the Bulls needed only 34 more runs. Bopara hit the first ball of the seventh over from Mohammad Zahid for a boundary and followed up with a six to mid-wicket. He also smashed him for consecutive boundaries. Then Lewis joined the fun and also hit Zahid for a six, 25 runs came off that over. Bopara smashed Samit Patel through the covers to inflict the first defeat on Qalandars. Brief Scores: Qalandars: 107 for 6 in 10 overs (Tom Banton 26; Fidel Edwards 2 for 25). Delhi Bulls: 111 for 1 (Evin Lewis 48 not out, Ravi Bopara 37 not out).