Azmatullah Omarzai starred with bat and ball as United Tigers crushed Arabian Aces by 51 runs in the third match of the Abu Dhabi T10 League at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

The Tigers posted 140 for 6 from their 10 overs, the highest total of the tournament so far, before bowling the Aces out for 89 for 9. Omarzai was named player of the match after smashing 29 not out from only nine balls, including four sixes, and then taking two for 17 with the ball.

The Aces won the toss and chose to bowl, and for the first few overs the decision looked reasonable. But the Tigers kept hitting. Joe Clarke made 29 from 20 balls, Fakhar Zaman scored 19 from eight, and Abbas Afridi added 20 from six deliveries as the Tigers reached a total that proved far beyond the Aces.

Omarzai provided the late surge, finishing unbeaten with a strike rate of more than 320. Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 19 from eight balls and Faheem Ashraf 12 from four as the Tigers closed on 140 for 6. Alzarri Joseph took two for 19 for the Aces, with Salman Irshad claiming two for 32.

The chase never got going. The Aces lost Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Paul Walter without scoring, and when Liam Livingstone fell for 27 from 11 balls the innings fell apart. Four wickets went down for four runs in the space of seven balls, and the Aces slumped to 89 for 9 from their 10 overs.

Alishan Sharafu top-scored for the Aces with 31 from 17 balls, while Andre Russell made 14 from 11. Usman Tariq and Faheem Ashraf each took two for 10, Omarzai finished with two for 17, and Abbas Afridi claimed two for 27.

It was another reminder of Omarzai's growing reputation as one of the most destructive all-rounders in the short formats. In October he struck his first T20I century, reaching the milestone from only 44 balls against Zimbabwe after Afghanistan had slipped to five for four, and he was named the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024. On this evidence, the Tigers have a match-winner who can change a game in either discipline inside a single over.

The win leaves the Tigers, the Eagles and the Bulls all on two points after the opening night of the tournament, which runs until 20 November with every match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. The Tigers are back in action on Sunday against the UAE Bulls, and with 16 Pakistan players cleared to take part in the league, there is plenty more to watch for in the days ahead. ESPNcricinfo has the full scorecard.