Eoin Morgan and Azam Khan collected 19 runs to Odeon Smith in the last over as the Strikers needed just six runs in the final over. Despite Little taking the match to the last ball, Azam took a run off the last ball to give the Strikers victory.
Eoin Morgan said, “I think the conditions have been different from previous years. “In the two games we’ve played before, there was probably a bit more bounce and a bit more pace in the pitch which is great for the game but it’s just a matter of adaptation. Today the wicket was a bit slow because it was a day’s play so I think it’s only taken a few days to adjust.
After working for Sky Sports for some time in the T20 World Cup, Morgan admitted that it was good to be back at the crease in the last one week.
“Yeah, I still love playing games,” he said.”It’s definitely a completely different challenge for international cricket. The expectation level is no longer there. I’m here to enjoy myself.
That’s what Morgan has been doing to a large extent since retiring from international cricket in June and it remains to be seen if he will go into the IPL auction after going unsold last year, but the Abu Dhabi T10 is reaping the benefits of his services.
“I’m a huge T10 fan, I enjoy coming here,” Morgan said.”It’s just a fun tournament and all the foreign players love to come here. Abu Dhabi is a great place to play and visit. One thing that happens to playing in T10 is that everything that comes out at some point of time during a T20 match is revealed, so when you look at the Powerplay and death bowling, there are two biggest moments of T20 cricket. In T10 you have these in abundance.
After the match, Eoin Morgan also lauded the red-ball set-up led by his close friend Brendon McCullum.”I still look at them and I am very jealous of the way they are playing and the kind of attitude they play.
“It’s a completely independent approach that’s about Brendon and Stokes,” Morgan said.
Over the years we tried to play defensively and conventionally and bat for long hours and that didn’t work so they have taken the initiative to change things that suit their partner and hopefully the success will continue for a long time.” It is certainly short-lived.