(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) England and a certain Ben Stokes, and not least, the rest of the world, got to know of him on that incredible summer night in Kolkata last year.
What Carlos Brathwaite did on that April night at the majestic Eden Gardens is now part of folklore. It wasn't quite the Eden Gardens replica at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday night, as his team - the Punjabi Legends -lost to the Maratha Arabians by 14 runs.
But in defeat, there was jubilation. The 29-year-old's slog six off UAE pacer Zahoor Khan off the last ball of the match saw the Punjabi Legends through to the semifinal of the T10 League, at the expense of the Bengal Tigers.
The target of 131 had seemed improbable as the Punjabi Legends were far down in the equation - needing 30 runs from the last over.
Opener and top scorer Luke Ronchi was run out leaving the Punjabi Legends requiring nine runs from the last two balls to make the cut.
Brathwaite, who had carted Stokes for four successive sixes at that World T20 final, swung a full toss from Zahoor to third man for a boundary, to bring it down to five needed from the final delivery.
And then, he smoked that six over square leg to sneak the Punjabi Legends through.
The Punjabi Legends will take on the red-hot Pakhtoons in the first semifinal on Sunday night. That will be followed by the second semifinal with the Kerala Kings squaring off against the Maratha Arabians.
The final is slated for the same night.
Earlier, the Maratha Arabians, without former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who had to pull out because of a back spasm, had a horrendous start with opener Alex Hales run out at the non-striker's end, off the second ball of the game.
More was to follow with Hales' opening partner Kamran Akmal fell two balls later, after clubbing two boundaries.
Rilee Rossouw and Asghar Stanikzai did some damage limitation but Stanikzai was to depart, becoming Faheem Ashraf's second victim, having made a 10-ball 26 with four boundaries and a six.
But Rossouw continued from where he had left off. The South African, who had smacked 49 from just 18 balls, to nick a last-ball thriller against Team Sri Lanka, coshed 67 from 27 balls with half a dozen sixes and five boundaries.
He fell one run short of the highest individual score of 68 not out made by David Miller of the Bengal Tigers.
Nonetheless, Rossouw's knock helped the Maratha Arabians post 130 for 6, the highest score of the League so far.
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