The Abu Dhabi T10 tournament witnessed dramatic developments on Saturday as two crucial matches determined the finalists lineup. In Qualifier 1, the Aspin Stallions secured their place in the championship final with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Quetta Qavalry at Zayed Cricket Stadium.
The Stallions’ triumph was orchestrated by West Indies powerhouse Sherfane Rutherford, who delivered a spectacular unbeaten 66 runs from just 22 deliveries. His explosive innings, featuring six boundaries and six maximums, marked his first half-century of the tournament and propelled his team to chase down Quetta’s total of 102 with seven balls remaining.
Despite early trouble at 13-2, Rutherford’s crucial 64-run partnership with captain Rahmanullah Gurbaz (19) stabilized the innings. The match reached its climax when Rutherford unleashed a devastating assault, scoring 22 runs from four consecutive balls against pace bowler Khuzaima Tanveer to seal the victory.
Earlier, Quetta’s batting lineup struggled against the Stallions’ bowling attack, particularly Karim Janat (2/9) and Binura Fernando (2/14), who restricted them to 102-6 despite several batters making promising starts.
In the Eliminator match, UAE Bulls kept their championship hopes alive with a dominant 47-run win against Ajman Titans. The Bulls posted the tournament’s highest total this season—162-3—fueled by Phil Salt’s 59 (26 balls), Tim David’s rapid 40 (13 balls), and Rovman Powell’s unbeaten 32 (10 balls). Their collective six-hitting exhibition overwhelmed the Titans.
Although Ajman’s openers Alex Hales (35) and Aneurin Donald (37) mounted a strong 68-run partnership in 5.1 overs, UAE pace bowler Junaid Siddique turned the tide by dismissing both Hales and Rilee Rossouw in successive deliveries during the sixth over. The Titans eventually collapsed to 115-4, eliminating them from contention.
The stage is now set for Sunday’s decisive Qualifier 2 between UAE Bulls and Quetta Qavalry at 3:30 PM, with the winner advancing to face Stallions in the championship final at 5:45 PM on the same ground.