Texas Gladiators Thrash Dallas Lonestars in NCL Sixty Strikes Opener

The National Cricket League (NCL) Sixty Strikes kicked off with a thrilling encounter between Texas Gladiators CC and Dallas Lonestars CC. Texas, led by the legendary Shahid Afridi, emerged victorious by a comfortable margin of 42 runs.

Batting first, Texas posted a formidable total of 140/3 in their allotted 10 overs. Dawid Malan, the former England batter, was the star of the show, smashing a blistering 67 off just 26 deliveries. Malan and Kennar Lewis provided a solid start with a 34-run partnership, before Chris Green dismissed Lewis for 11.

Nick Kelly joined Malan at the crease and the duo continued the onslaught, taking Texas past the 100-run mark in the eighth over. Malan's innings came to an end in the ninth over when Chris Wood dismissed him for 67. Kelly and Afridi then propelled Texas to a challenging total of 140 before Kelly was dismissed for 45 off 25 on the final ball of the innings.

Chasing 141 in 10 overs, Dallas got off to a promising start with Colin Munro and Sohaib Maqsood putting on a 69-run partnership. However, Munro was forced to retire hurt for 17, and Samit Patel was dismissed cheaply for 2. Maqsood continued to fight, scoring 67 off 36 balls, but his dismissal in the 10th over left Dallas with an uphill task.

Skipper Dinesh Karthik and Chris Green tried to salvage the situation, but Karthik was dismissed by Nisarg Patel, and Dallas' innings ended at 98/3. Patel was the pick of the Texas bowlers, claiming two wickets for just 12 runs.

Texas Gladiators CC earned the crucial two points in the T10 series with their impressive victory. The tournament promises to be an exciting affair, with several top players from around the world participating.

Tags: #NCLSixtyStrikes, #TexasGladiators, #DallasLonestars, #DawidMalan, #ShahidAfridi