(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Rilee Rossouw's last-over blitz got the Maratha Arabians up and running in the brand new T10 League.

One of South Africa's bright talents to go 'Kolpak,' the southpaw smoked three sixes, two successive ones, as the Maratha Arabians nicked a thriller, off the last ball, against Team Sri Lanka.

The 28-year-old Rossouw, who now plies his trade with Hampshire in the English County, coshed an unbeaten 49 from 18 balls, dotted with half a dozen sixes as the Maratha Arabians won by five wickets at a sold-out Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday night.

England opener Alex Hales had earlier set things in motion with a 15-ball 32, while another South African Roelof van der Merwe made 25.

With 16 needed from the last over bowled by Thikshila de Silva, Imad Wasim smacked him for a six to bring the equation down to 10 required from five balls.

Eight were needed off three and then seven from two and Rossouw clubbed it for an 83-metre six over mid-wicket to bring the scores level. And a pumped up Rossouw conjured an identical shot for another six to take the Arabians home.

Earlier, the Maratha Arabians decided to field for the second time in two games and the decision seemed to have backfired with Team Sri Lanka raising the benchmark for the highest score of the format and the competition.

Their 125 topped the 121 scored by the Pakhtoons on the opening night on Thursday.

And it Team Sri Lanka's captain Dinesh CHandimal who led the way with an unbeaten 37 from 24 balls, studded with four boundaries and a six.

Southpaw Shehan Jayasuriya stroked an 11-ball 28 with the help of three boundaries and two lusty sixes, while Ramith Rambuwella scored 22 from 10 balls with two boundaries and a couple of sixes.

Dwayne Bravo was the mos economical with the West Indian snapping up two wickets for 12 runs, while Hardus Viljoen taking two for 28.



Team Sri Lanka
E Munaweera c Amir b Viljoen 4
L Chandimal not out 37
P Rajapaksa c Rossouw b Viljoen 19
G Jayasuriya b Bravo 28
R Rambukwella b Bravo 22
S de Silva not out 8
Extras: (lb3, nb2, w2) 7
Total: ( for 4 wickets, 10 overs) 125
Fall: 1-4, 2-31, 3-79, 4-116.
Bowling: Viljoen 2-0-28-2 (1w), Mohammad Amir 2-0-26-0 (1w), (1nb), Imad Wasim 1-0-23-0 (1nb), Zahoor Khan 1-0-14-0, D Bravo 2-0-12-2, Van der Merwe 2-0-19-0

Maratha Arabians
K Akmal b Fernando 4
A Hales c Rajapaksa b Madushanka 32
R Rossouw not out 49
R van der Merwe c Madushanka b Rambukwella 25
R Whiteley run out 8
D Bravo c Madushanka b Fernando 0
Imad Wasim not out 9
Extras: (nb1, w3) 4
Total: (for 5 wickets, 10 overs) 131
Fall: 1-4, 2-55, 3-93, 4-110, 5-110.
Bowling: Fernando 2-0-15-2 (1w, 1nb), Madushanka 2-0-19-1 (1w), Madushanka 2-0-30-0, Senanayake 1-0-21-0 (1w), De Silva 2-0-30-0, Rambukwella 1-0-16-1

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