Sharjah: Bengal Tigers’ South African star David Miller showed why he is nicknamed ‘Killer Miller’ in the world of franchise cricket.
He cracked an unbeaten 68 off 26 balls with seven sixes and three boundaries, but his knock went in vain in a T10 thriller at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The unstoppable Pakhtoons won by six wickets off the last ball, chasing Bengal’s total of 126 for two in 10 overs, to become the first team to reach the semi-final of the Heera Group T10 Cricket League.
It was a treat for the Saturday crowd from Miller.
Pakhtoons seemed to have the run-rate under control till Miller walked in at the fall of Johnson Charles’ wicket. Charles had hit 28 runs off 12 balls with three sixes and two fours.
Miller began with a flat six over the covers off Umar Gul in the fifth over. Two overs later, he hit Sohail Khan for a six over long on.
In the eight over, Miller was at his best killer mood. He hit the tall and lanky Pakistan pacer Mohammad Irfan for 23 runs in one over. The first ball he flicked off his pads for a boundary and then smashed one over long for a towering six. His six over mid-wicket too was powerfully executed.
In the ninth over, he played an elegant placing shot off Imran Khan past short fine leg and square leg. Miller ended the over hitting Imran’s last ball for a sweetly-timed six over mid wicket.
Miller hit the last two balls of the final over from Sohail Khan for two successive sixes. The first was a slog towards mid-wicket but the last six was over long on when Sohail tried to york him.
Pakhtoons started with a sedate first over but in the second over, Ahmad Shehzad hit 15 runs off Marchant De Lange, which included two boundaries and six.
UAE’s Mohammad Naveed bowled a good over — giving just one boundary in the third over. The run rate increased with the fourth over when Shehzad hit 19 runs in one over with one six and four boundaries. Still at the half way mark, Pakhtoons were only 55 for two with Shezad out for 38.
Shahid Afridi changed the trend starting with a six to score 23 runs off 10 balls. Fakhar Zaman showed why he is one of the most respected hard-hitters in the world today with four sixes to score 31 runs in just 11 balls.
With 17 runs needed off the last over, Bengal introduced Afghanistan’s inexperienced chinaman bowler Zahir Khan. Liam Dawson hit the first two balls for two successive sixes and won the match off the last ball.
