Match 19, Dubai, February 03, 2024, 04:00 PM
160/7(20.0ov)
161/4(16.5ov)
Desert Vipers beat Gulf Giants by 6 wickets
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Man of the Match
Azam Khan
Commentry
Right then, that's all from this game, where the Desert Vipers secured a comprehensive victory to take a significant leap in the standings from the bottom to the third spot. We have one more game coming up on this Super Saturday in the 2024 International League T20. It will be the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders taking on the Dubai Capitals. The first ball will be bowled at 8 pm IST (2.30 pm GMT). See you then. Cheers!
Azam Khan is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his brilliant knock of 50 runs from 20 balls, paving the way for a Desert Vipers win.
Time for the presentation ceremony...
Earlier in the game, it was a tale of two halves for the Gulf Giants in their batting effort. The first half saw them get to 58 off the ten overs, with Chris Lynn being the major contributor. As a result, they were left with a lot of catching up to do in the next 10 overs to post a competitive total on the board. Thanks to Shimron Hetmyer's entertaining cameo and handy contributions from Jordan Cox and Gerhard Erasmus, the Giants were able to get to 160. For the Desert Vipers, Wanindu Hasaranga was miserly as ever, with figures of 2 for 15 from his 4 overs. Mohammad Amir took 3 wickets, whereas Matheesha Pathirana got a couple of wickets, but they were a touch expensive.
Despite a strong finish with the bat, the Gulf Giants had fallen short of the total they would have had in mind. Early wickets were the key for them to get a good head start in the defence of the total. The Super Sub, Carlos Brathwaite, gave them one in his second over, but the rest of the bowling unit failed to build on that scalp. Zohaib Zubair's twin strikes in the 11th over gave the Giants an opening, but dropping Azam Khan proved costly. Khan made the defending champions pay, as he, along with Colin Munro, took the game away from them in the blink of an eye and closed all doors on the Giants' comeback.
The Desert Vipers have done it in a canter here to register their third win of the season! An emphatic victory for Colin Munro and Co., which lifts them off the bottom of the standings. In pursuit of 161 runs, it was a steady start for the Desert Vipers despite the early departure of Rohan Mustafa. Alex Hales and skipper Colin Munro then got together and ensured that the Vipers did not lose any more wickets in the Powerplay. Hales was the aggressor of the two batters, whereas Munro played the perfect foil. Just when the Vipers were going along nicely, they stuttered a bit with the loss of quick wickets. Coming in at number 5, Azam Khan took the game by the scruff of the neck by unleashing an onslaught. Munro followed suit on his way to his second fifty of the season. Azam raced to fifty off just 18 balls, the fastest in the history of the competition, and the Vipers got home with just over three overs to spare.
In over# 17
1wd
0
0
1
0W
0
Blessing Muzarabani 25/1(3.5)
16.6
1wd
Wide! Swing and a miss! The batter swings hard at that one but does not connect.
16.5
.
No run. Swing and a miss! The batter swings hard at that one but does not connect.
16.4
.
No run, that is punched off the back foot but straight to the fielder.
16.3
1
1 run, the batter goes back in his crease and flicks it away through mid wicket for a single.
16.2
W
OUT! That is a simple catch to the fielder.
16.1
.
No run. Swing and a miss! The batter swings hard at that one but does not connect.
In over# 16
4
1
4
4
1nb
6
6
Zohaib Zubair 49/2(4)
15.6
4
Four! That is pulled through the on side. The ball races to the fence in no time.
15.5
1
1 run, the batter goes back in his crease and flicks it away through mid wicket for a single.
15.4
4
Four! Good ball but a good shot too. This is the wrong ‘un but the batter has picked it. Reverse sweeps it through point.
15.3
4
Four! Nice one. A good-looking square drive is played and it results in a boundary.
15.3
1nb
No ball! Sideline No ball. Umpire Gould has signalled a no ball..