Former India pacer relived the days of the past when he bagged four wickets for Morrisville Unity in the ongoing US Masters T10 in Lauderhill on Wednesday night. Although his four-fer was ultimately in vain, he got the early wickets of Mohammad Hafeez and Mukhtar Ahmed in the second over, with the side reeling at 12 for 2.
Soon after this double blow, skipper Ben Dunk took the game to his opponents. He dispatched Dane Piedt for a four and a six in one over, and a noteworthy partnership flourished between Dunk and Thisara Perera as the duo rotated the strike seamlessly, ensuring the scoreboard remained animated.
However, the partnership was nipped in the bud when Piedt intervened in the fifth over. Displaying brilliance in the field, Corey Anderson took a remarkable diving catch, ending the promising 35-run alliance and sending Thisara back to the pavilion.
Dunk's resistance at the crease was short-lived as well. Piedt delivered a straighter ball that disrupted Dunk's defence, resulting in the bails being dislodged. In the wake of Dunk's dismissal, Darren Stevens emerged as the main aggressor. He asserted his dominance by attacking Calvin Savage's deliveries in the seventh over, hitting a six followed by a four.
To add to the opposition's woes, Upul Tharanga contributed with a six over long-on to wrap up the over. But the duo's reign ended shortly when Sreesanth managed to dismiss both Stevens and Tharanga in the ninth over.
Unity's response during their chase seemed jolted from the outset. The very first legal ball bowled by Fidel Edwards claimed Parthiv Patel, judged lbw. Hafeez further dented Unity's hopes, skilfully catching and bowling Chris Gayle in the third over.
Shehan Jayasuriya briefly rekindled hopes for the Chargers, ruthlessly hitting Ehsan Adil for three boundaries and a six in the fourth over. Yet, his stint was curtailed by Edwards, who delivered a clever bouncer in the following over.
Hafeez, turning the screws tighter, claimed two more wickets in the sixth over. Unity found themselves in dire straits, with the scoreboard reading 48 for 5. The situation further deteriorated when Tanvir dismissed Navin Stewart in an economical seventh over, conceding only a single run.
As the game neared its end, Corey Anderson's struggles were evident. Despite managing to strike two boundaries off the match's last two deliveries, he finished with a sluggish 16 off 17 balls, epitomising Unity's faltering chase.
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