Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed announced his arrival with a dominant spell against Southern Brave, helping Sunrisers Leeds win their first game of the season. In doing so, he atoned for his woeful outing in the first game, where he was thrashed for 30 runs off 10 balls.
Abrar bounces back after expensive start
Abrar started off expensively, conceding 26 off his first two five-ball sets. Ben McKinney and Jamie Smith combined to tonk him for three gigantic sixes. That alone would have been enough to dent Sunrisers’ confidence in Abrar. However, it was his next set that helped him redeem himself. His final 10 balls included two dismissals for the bargain of just seven runs.
He began his next set by dismissing David Miller, who top-scored for Brave in the last game.
Double strike turns the game
The wicket got Abrar to stay on after five balls, and he made sure to make the most of that by taking another scalp. This time it was set batter Marcus Stoinis. The Australian had accelerated to a 16-ball 31, keeping Southern Brave’s hopes alive. Abrar, however, pitched the ball at the same line he did to Miller and forced Stoinis to reach for it, producing a miscued shot that landed safely in Tom Alsop’s hands.
Abrar ended with 33 runs in 20 balls while taking two wickets. Sunrisers Leeds eventually won the game by five runs.
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