Montreal Tigers drubbed Toronto Nationals by seven wickets in Global T20. Batting first, the Nationals were bundled out for a paltry 52 runs in 11.1 overs, courtesy of Kaleem Sana (4/13) and Azmatullah Omarzai’s (3/22) stupendous bowling. In pursuit of a modest total, the Tigers surpassed the score with 51 balls to spare.
Match Summary
- Toss: Tim Seifert (MON) won the toss and opted to bowl.
- Toronto Nationals Innings: 52/10 in 11.1 overs
- Jatinderpal Matharu: 12 (25)
- Junaid Siddique: 9 (6)
- Key Bowler: Kaleem Sana (4/13) in 3 overs
- Montreal Tigers Innings: 56/3 in 11.3 overs
- Tim Seifert: 15* (15)
- Dilpreet Bajwa: 12 (16)
- Key Bowler: Junaid Siddique (2/4) in 2 overs
Key Moments
Omarzai’s Double Blow in First Over
The Afghan pacer started the proceedings with the new ball for the Tigers and toppled the top-order batters. Omarzai trapped Colin Munro (1 off 2) and Andries Gous (0 off 1) on two consecutive balls in the opening over and found himself on a hat-trick but failed to complete it. His bowling brilliance with the new ball initiated a collapse in the Nationals’ batting lineup.
Sensational Sana
The Canadian pacer shared the new ball from the other end and ran riot in the Nationals camp. The left-arm pacer removed Unmukt Chand (2 off 7) and Roston Chase (0 off 1) on the last two balls of his opening over and then trapped Mohammad Nawaz (1 off 4) on the first ball of his second over to grab the first hat-trick of Global T20 2024. He pocketed four wickets for just 13 runs in three overs and helped skittle the Nationals to a meager total. 
Tigers Cross the Line Easily
In pursuit of a mere 52 runs, the Tigers lost Dilpreet Bajwa (12 off 16), Ashton Agar (5 off 10), and Parveen Kumar (9 off 15) cheaply. However, the score was too low to defend for the Nationals bowlers, and Tim Seifert’s unbeaten run-a-ball 15 runs sealed the game for the Tigers with 51 balls to spare. Jason Behrendorff, Jatinderpal Matharu, and Junaid Siddique each took a wicket for the Nationals.
Implications and Future Prospects
It was a horrible batting performance from the Nationals as they fell like nine pins and were bundled out for a meager total. The scoreboard painted a bleak picture, with Jatinderpal Matharu (12 off 25) being the only player to score in double digits. With this humiliating defeat, the Nationals missed the opportunity to finish in the top two. They need to learn from their mistakes and perform well as a unit in the playoffs to excel.
Conversely, Montreal Tigers have performed well throughout the Global T20 event, and their bowlers have wreaked havoc in this contest. They will look to continue this impressive performance in the playoffs. The Tigers have secured their place in the top two and still have one game left in their league stage. It’s a golden opportunity for them to test their bench strength in the final league match, which is effectively a dead rubber, ahead of the playoffs.
Conclusion
With this massive win, Montreal Tigers sit strongly on top of the points table and would look to continue their merry ways in the playoffs.
On the other hand, despite a humiliating defeat, Toronto Nationals secured the fourth position on the points table but will need to overcome their challenges in the playoffs to excel further in the Global T20 event.
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