Nafay and Livingstone steer Quetta Qavalry to dramatic one-run victory over Deccan Gladiators
~ Khawaja Nafay’s 39* off 14 proves decisive as the Qavalry remain unbeaten ~
Abu Dhabi, : In a clash of unbeaten teams, the Quetta Qavalry edged the Deccan Gladiators by one run in a gripping finish at the 2025 Abu Dhabi T10. The top-of-the-table showdown lived up to its billing, producing a tense final over in which the Gladiators’ chase fell agonisingly short despite Marcus Stoinis’ late hitting.
In the first innings, Qavalry posted 112/3 thanks to Evin Lewis (20 off 9), Liam Livingstone (20* off 12) and a blazing Khawaja Nafay (39* off 14). Tight spells from Noor Ahmad (1/9) and Jordan Thompson (0/12) kept the innings in check, but the unbeaten pair ensured a competitive total that ultimately made the difference in a match of razor-thin margins.
Chasing 113, Deccan were rattled early when Nicholas Pooran fell in the first over, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore (15 off 9) and David Wiese (32 off 15) rebuilt steadily before Qavalry’s bowlers struck back through Abbas Afridi, Muhammad Jawadullah and Khawaja Nafay. Marcus Stoinis (39* off 19) then kept the Gladiators alive with clean, powerful striking, but Khuzaima Tanveer delivered a brilliant penultimate over, conceding only three and pushing the equation to 22 off 6.
In the final over, Stoinis launched an assault, dragging the equation down but Abbas Afridi kept his nerve, firing a full delivery that Stoinis could not put away, handing Quetta a memorable victory.
Titans fall short in 15-run defeat
Chasing 120, on Thursday, the Ajman Titans struggled to keep up with the rate as the Aspin Stallions’ bowlers applied early pressure. The innings never recovered after Rahmanullah Gurbaz (23 off 6) fell at 29/1, ending a brief burst of powerplay hitting.
Akif Javed struck again to remove Avishka Fernando (18 off 11) at 82/2, and with the required rate rising, the Titans’ middle order failed to produce a stabilising stand. Chris Green tightened the screws further with a superb spell of 2/9, removing Leus du Plooy and later Harbhajan Singh to leave the chase wobbling at 118/6.
Sam Billings (13* off 9) tried to hold the innings together, but boundaries dried up at crucial moments as the Stallions’ seamers closed out efficiently. With only 6 runs scored in the sixth over, the Titans fell decisively behind and never mounted a late surge.
The chase ended at 104/6, giving Aspin Stallions a 15-run win built on disciplined spells from Akif Javed (2/11) and Chris Green (2/9), whose control through the middle overs proved decisive.
