Andre Russell and Odean Smith starred with both bat and ball as the Deccan Gladiators defeated Dwayne Bravos’s Delhi Bulls by 17 runs in the first qualifier of the Abu Dhabi T10 on Friday.
Russell, the Hitter of the Match, smashed four fours and three sixes in his 14-ball 39 in an opening partnership of 58 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who made 23 as the Gladiators made 139-4 from their 10 overs.
However, it was David Wiese and Smith, who powered the team to their match-winning total after Dominic Drakes took three wickets in the sixth over to see the Gladiators slip from 74-1 to 77-4.
The pair plundered 62 runs from the final four overs.
Wiese hit two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 15-ball innings of 31 while Player-of-the-Match Smith hit two fours and three sixes from the 11 balls for 30.
Drakes was the best of the bowlers for the Bulls with 3-15 from his two overs.
Chasing 140 for victory, Delhi Bulls started well scoring 36 mid-ways the third over when Chandrapaul Hemraj was out for 24 caught by Russell off the bowling of Smith, who conceded 21 runs from his two overs.
Hemraj had struck two fours and two sixes in the eight balls he faced.
Smith would later return the favour when he caught the dangerous Eoin Morgan off Russell’s bowling for 27 that came off just eight balls.
When Sherfane Rutherford was bowled by Tymal Mills for 21 in the eighth over Bulls were 95-4 needing 45 from 16 balls.
Russell would eventually remove Bravo for nine in the ninth over with the Bulls still needing 34 from the final over.
It would be too much of an ask for Romario Shepherd, who was unbeaten on 16 from eight balls and Drakes one from one as the Bulls innings closed at 122-5.
Russell completed a solid all-around performance returning figures of 2-27.