Chris Gayle smashed 52 runs from just 23 balls but Team Abu Dhabi lost by 10 runs to Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 league on Friday.

Gayle hit three fours and five sixes in a desperate chase but other than Liam Livingston, who scored 20 from six balls and Phil Salt’s 17 from seven, the Universe Boss got little support from his fellow batsmen as Team Abu Dhabi fell to only its first defeat this season.

James Faulkner 2-23 and Benny Howell 2-13 swung the match in favour of the winners.

Bangla Tigers took first strike and owed their score of 130-5 to Hazratullah Zazai, who plundered 41 runs, hitting three fours and three sixes from the 20 balls he faced. Willy Jacks was even more brutal scoring 43 from just 17 balls from which he hit five fours and three sixes.

Some late-order hitting from Faf du Plessis, who raced to 22 from just eight balls, spurred Tigers to their winning total.

In the other match on Friday, Andre Russell took 2-10 and was unbeaten on three as the Deccan Gladiators defeated the Chennai Braves by five wickets.

The Braves were bowled out for 57 in their 10 overs with Bhanuka Rajapaksa being the only batter in double figures as, along with Russell’s two wickets, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva took 3-9 and Rumman Raees 2-20.

In reply, the Gladiators achieved the winning target in just six overs with David Wiese top-scoring with 20.  Tom Banton made 19.