The New York Strikers have risen to the top of the standings

2023.12.04

The New York Strikers have risen to the top of the standings, while the Chicago Bulls have fallen to a historic low.

The Delhi Bulls folded for 31 despite having Quinton de Kock, Johnson Charles, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Rovman Powell, Ravi Bopara, and Dwayne Bravo in their ranks, giving New York Strikers their third win and a spot at the top of the table for the time being.

If you score 98 for 4 in a ten-overs-a-side event where three figures are frequently broken, you would expect Strikers to struggle in the second half, but that was not the case on the day.

Akeal Hosein (3 for 7) took two wickets in the first over of the chase, one in the second and third, and three in the fifth over against Chamika Karunaratne (3 for 6). Except for Bopara, the only Bulls hitter to reach double figures (he finished with 16), that was the last of the specialty batters. Bulls were bowled out with three balls remaining in the inning after four hitters were dismissed for ducks.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz controlled the opening half with a 24-ball 49 not out as Strikers achieved a nearly-par total of 98… It proved three times what the Bulls could manage on the day.

The Bulls have now lost two in a row after starting with three victories in a row, but they remain third in the league, while the Strikers have already won three in a row after starting with a defeat.

Final Score

New York Strikers 98 for 4 (Gurbaz 49*, Smith 25*, Akram 2-15) beat

Delhi Bulls 31 (Bopara 16, Karunaratne 3-6, Hosein 3-7) by 67 runs