Windies players struggle at the start of Abu Dhabi T10

NEITHER NICHOLAS Pooran nor Jason Holder had any impact as their sides experienced contrasting fates in the opening matches of the Abu Dhabi T10 yesterday.

Pooran made only one for Deccan Gladiators but they overcame his failure to beat Kieron Pollard’s New York Strikers by 22 runs in the first contest at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Holder, meanwhile, was dismissed for a three-ball duck and then went wicket-less from his two overs which leaked 25 runs, as Samp Army slumped to a nine-run defeat to Northern Warriors, in the second game at the venue.

Neither Pooran nor Holder will feature in next month’s three-match One-Day International series against England, Cricket West Indies announcing earlier this month that the duo were “prioritising preparation” for the other formats.

Gladiators, led by Pooran, rallied to 118 for eight off their 10 overs after being sent in, opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore top-scoring with an unbeaten 68 from 33 balls with four fours and half-dozen sixes.

The left-handed Pooran, who perished in the second over, was one of four West Indies players failing to spark with Andre Russell scoring 17, Andre Fletcher managing two and Fabian Allen suffering a one-ball duck.

Kohler-Cadmore put on 31 for the third wicket with Russell and a further 34 for the sixth wicket with Dan Lawrence (10), Sri Lankan seamer Chamika Karunaratne finishing with three for 25 and West Indian spinners Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein going wicket-less from their solitary overs.

In reply, the West Indian struggles continued as Pollard (8), Odean Smith (8) and Narine (10 not out) failed to get among the runs in Strikers’ 96 for six.

Asked to bat first in the second game, Warriors gathered 103 for five from their 10 overs with Jamaican Kennar Lewis scoring 18 and Colin Munro top-scoring with a 15-ball unbeaten 36.

In reply, captain Moeen Ali struck 37 from 23 balls but Samp Army could only reach 94 for eight, Holder fifth out in the sixth over, holing out to deep midwicket off seamer Abhimanyu Mithun (2-12).