Brampton, July 27, 2023: Another exciting day of Global T20 Canada action took place at the TD Arena in Brampton as the Toronto Nationals defeated the Mississauga Panthers with six wickets and 6.4 overs remaining.
Colin Munro delivered a game-winning performance, scoring 67 runs in just 31 deliveries to secure a critical victory for his team.
In the second game of the day, the Brampton Wolves defeated the Montreal Tigers by 15 runs after scoring 143 runs in their first innings. With 56 runs and two crucial wickets, Colin De Grandhomme displayed exceptional all-around talent.
The Mississauga Panthers were given the order of bat by the Toronto Nationals after they won a crucial toss. Saad Bin Zafar and Faheem Ashraf, who each took two wickets early on, had outstanding stints that allowed the Nationals to destroy the Panthers’ top order. The Panthers were in trouble at 28/3 in six overs after Chris Gayle (4), Navneet Dhaliwal (5), and Azam Kha (8), all of whom died in the Powerplay.
Soon after Cameron Delport (4) left the game as well, Shoaib Malik (37) and James Neesham (18) joined forces to steady the ship and create a crucial 44-run partnership for the Panthers, despite the conservative run rate. Tom Cooper (age 26) entered at number 7 and had an incredible final over. In just 14 deliveries, he batted quickly to help the Panthers reach 115/9 while the wickets around him fell. In the latter stages of the innings, Zaman Khan also demonstrated his skill by taking two wickets.
The Toronto Nationals responded by blazing a path to their objective.
Before being bowled by Parveen Kumar, Colin Munro (67), who had just reached his half-century in 20 balls, had unleashed a power hitting display. Nicholas Kirton left the game for 12 runs at the other end. At 70/1, the Nationals were comfortably in the lead as the powerplay came to a conclusion.
Munro was fired after which Nikhil Dutta promptly killed Gerhard Erasmus (1 point) and Armaan Kapoor (5). To ensure that the Nationals easily accomplished their objective with six wickets and 6.4 overs to spare, Captain Hamza Tariq (25), who batted at number three, performed a cool-headed unbeaten performance.
After losing the toss in the second game of the day, Brampton Wolves elected to bat first. As early as the second over, the Wolves lost Aaron Johnson (6). To ensure that the Wolves were in a strong position at 53/1 at the end of the powerplay, Usman Khan (33), who broke six boundaries, and Mark Chapman (21), who rotated the strike smartly. Following the rapid dismissals of Hussain Talat and Usman Khan by Aayaz Afzal Khan, Colin De Grandhomme (56), who had come in at number five, played a great innings that was equally balanced in power and accuracy before being bowled by Carlos Brathwaite.
The Wolves first appeared set for a large total, but wickets kept falling.
In the sixteenth over, Ayaan Afzal Khan added two more wickets, and in the last over, Carlos Brathwaite cleaned up the tail with three more wickets. For 143 runs in 19.5 overs, the Brampton Wolves were dismissed.
Chris Lynn (9) and Muhammad Waseem (6) both left the game early for the Tigers as a result. The Tigers were positioned at 42/2 at the conclusion of the powerplay thanks to a partnership formed by Shakib Al Hassan (28) and Dilpreet Singh (24). Dilpreet Singh left shortly after Shakib Al Hassan once more failed to convert his start.
Sherfane Rutherford (10), who was under pressure in the middle overs, lost his wicket while attempting to clear the ropes. The game was in a tight balance as the Montreal Tigers chased 44 runs in 36 balls with five wickets remaining. Logan Van Beek took three wickets, including Dipendra Singh Airee (28), to dismiss the Tigers for 128. Colin De Grandhomme, though, dismissed Carlos Brathwaite (4) and Wijeyeratne (8). The Brampton Wolves outplayed the Tigers, winning by 15 runs.
Upcoming Fixtures:
Action picks up on Friday when the Brampton Wolves will clash against the Vancouver Knights while Mississauga Panthers will take on the Surrey Jaguars in the second match of the day.
Where to watch:
Live streaming of the games will be available on FanCode, while Indian cricket fans may also watch the games on Star Sports 2 (HD).
Brief Scores:
Mississauga Panthers: 115/9 in 20 overs (Shoaib Malik, 37 runs in 37 balls, Tom Cooper, 26 runs in 14 balls, James Neesham, 18 runs in 24 balls, Saad Bin Zafar, 3/31, Zaman Khan, 2/20, and Faheem Ashraf, 2/30)
Nationals of Toronto: 118/4 in 13.2 overs (Colin Munro: 67 runs in 31 balls; Hamza Tariq: 25 runs in 21 balls; Nikhil Dutta: 2/36).
With 6.4 overs left, the Nationals had won by 6 wickets.
Brampton Wolves: 143/10 in 19.5 overs (Colin De Grandhomme, 56 runs in 40 balls; Usman Khan, 33 runs in 21 balls; Mark Chapman, 21 runs in 22 balls; Carlos Brathwaite, 4/21; Ayaan Afzal Khan, 4/21).
Montreal Tigers: 128 in 19.1 overs (Shakib Al Hassan: 28 in 21 balls; Dipendra Singh Airee: 28 in 24 balls; Logan Van Beek: 3/20; Colin De Grandhomme: 2/8; Shahid Ahmadzai: 2/33)
Wolves won by 15 runs.