The Abu Dhabi T10 opened with a statement performance from Quetta Qavalry, who combined Khawaja Nafay’s breathtaking late-innings hitting with a composed bowling display to secure a 51-run win over Northern Warriors at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Qavalry’s innings hinged on Nafay’s extraordinary finishing burst — an unbeaten 45 off just 12 deliveries that transformed a competitive total into an imposing one. Walking in with fewer than three overs left, Nafay launched five sixes and two fours, turning the closing minutes of the innings into a spectacle and lifting Quetta to 133 for 5.
Before Nafay’s intervention, Quetta had been carried by pockets of momentum. Liam Livingstone struck 24 off 10, mixing power with clarity of intent, while Jason Holder matched him stroke for stroke with an unbeaten 24 off 10 to ensure the tempo never dipped. Muhammad Waseem’s promising start (15 off 10) ended just as he looked set to accelerate, but Quetta’s depth covered the gap with ease.
Northern Warriors found brief control through Trent Boult, whose skilful new-ball spell removed Evin Lewis for 2 and halted Livingstone’s charge. Tabraiz Shamsi, Odean Smith and Thisara Perera added one wicket each, but the innings belonged to Nafay, whose finishing surge redefined the target.
Chasing 134 in ten overs, the Warriors needed early aggression but were deprived of it when Holder dismissed Johnson Charles for 6 in the opening over. The innings never recovered its rhythm. At the halfway stage, the Warriors were 41 for 1 — a position too passive for a chase demanding constant boundary-hitting.
Hazratullah Zazai (31 not out off 28) and Colin Munro (44 off 28) compiled an unbroken 77-run stand, but it unfolded at a pace well below the required rate. They found occasional boundaries yet lacked the sustained acceleration needed to challenge the target. Munro fell off the final ball of the match to Ali Majid as the Warriors closed on 82 for 2.
Quetta’s bowlers dictated terms throughout, with every member of the attack operating under an economy of 10 — a rare collective in T10 cricket. Their consistency ensured that Northern Warriors were never allowed into the contest.
Reflecting on the victory, captain Liam Livingstone said the team had read the pitch early and executed their plans with discipline. “There was plenty in the wicket, so the plan was simply to hit a good length, and the bowlers executed that perfectly,” he said. “It’s a new side and captaining a format this quick is always a challenge, but we managed the key moments well. This is one tick in the box, and hopefully we can build on it and push for the Final.”
Quetta leave the opening night not just with points, but with clarity: their hitting depth, bowling balance and tactical composure have all landed early blows in a tournament where momentum is everything.
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