US Masters T10 League 2023: Texas Chargers bag inaugural title in dramatic finale

Texas Chargers. (Photo Source: Twitter/T10 Global)

Lauderhill, Florida, 27 August 2023: The Texas Chargers held their nerve at crucial moments, and put on a fantastic performance on Sunday, as they defeated the New York Warriors, via a Super Over in the Final of the inaugural US Masters T10. The Chargers won it narrowly in the Super Over.

Batting first, the New York Warriors lost opener Kamran Akmal off the first delivery, before Tillakaratne Dilshan and Richard Levi steadied the ship. The duo put on a 30-run stand for the second wicket, playing with a risk-free approach, before Levi was knocked over for 17.

Dilshan added 18 to the cause and was the next to depart, with Misbah-ul-Haq being joined by Shahid Afridi. They could not kick on as Afridi was dismissed for 1, by Ehsan Adil, who finished his spell with 3 wickets.

The skipper could add only 5 in the seventh over, and Abdul Razzaq (3) departed in the 8th over, with the score at 62/6. After that, Jonathan Carter teed off for the Warriors, smashing 3 sixes and as many boundaries, taking the team to 92/6 in their quota of 10 overs.

In response, the Texas Chargers lost the wicket of the in-form Mukhtar Ahmed for 6 in the second over. However, the very experienced Mohammad Hafeez had skipper Ben Dunk for the company, and the duo dug in.

Hafeez has been in scintillating form and along with Dunk, put on a 46-run stand to set the Chargers on the way to the finish line. Dunk was dismissed for 20 but Hafeez was looking dangerous, as the Chargers reached 60/2 at the halfway stage.

Soon after, Hafeez was dismissed for 46, and Darren Stevens was gone for 2, as the Chargers lost their 4th wicket. In the 9th over, Sohail Khan struck a few big blows as Upul Tharanga (1), Phil Mustard (0), Thisara Perera (4) and Neil Broom (1) were all dismissed quickly. Sohail finished with a five-wicket haul as the Warriors took control.

In the final over, Shahid Afridi picked two wickets, as the Chargers were all out for 92, in their 10 overs, forcing the Final into a Super Over.

In the Super Over, the Chargers batted first with Ben Dunk and Hafeez coming out to face Sohail Khan. The Chargers courtesy of Dunk and Mukhtar Ahmed hit a couple of sixers and lost one wicket on the way to posting 15 runs. In reply, the Warriors had Shahid Afridi and Jonathon Carter taking strike. The duo threw the kitchen sink at the Chargers, but fell just short, scoring 13 runs off the over.

Brief Scores:

New York Warriors – 92/6 (Jonathan Carter – 39*, T Dilshan – 18; Ehsan Adil – 3/11; Imran Khan – 1/15) tied with Texas Chargers – 92 (Mohammad Hafeez – 46, Ben Dunk – 20; Sohail Khan – 5/15, Umaid Asif – 2/14.)