Fakhar Zaman lit up the Dubai International Stadium with a stellar knock of 67 runs in 52 deliveries to secure a five-wicket victory for the Desert Vipers against the MI Emirates.

Fakhar Zaman and Alex Hales’ knock of 34 runs gave the Vipers a strong start in the run chase. Zaman and Sam Curran then erected a 65-run stand through the middle overs while Sherfane Rutherford powered his way to 21 runs in eight balls to chase the target of 160 in 19.1 overs.

Electing to bat first, the MI Emirates had a promising start but could not extend it into the middle overs. However, the MI Emirates scored 34 runs in the last two overs, with Kieron Pollard and Romario Shepherd hitting two sixes apiece to finish at 159/6.

In response, the Desert Vipers’ opening combination of Alex Hales and Fakhar Zaman coasted through the powerplay to post 51 runs.

Alex Hales had made his way to 34 runs in 22 balls when he was cleaned up by a ripper from Waqar Salamkheil in the eighth over. Dan Lawrence was dismissed soon after, caught and bowled by Dan Mousley in the ninth over. Mousley scalped Azam Khan in the same manner in his next over to bring the score to 71/3 in 10.1 overs.

With wickets falling on one end, Fakhar Zaman limited his risks until he unleashed two sixes off Salamkheil in the 14th over. Zaman brought up a 44-ball half century studded with four sixes and three fours.

Zaman creamed two more boundaries in the next over, while Sam Curran joined in with a huge six to complete a second consecutive 16-run over. The pair’s 50-run stand in 31 balls shifted the momentum toward the Desert Vipers.

Zaman was finally dismissed by Zahoor Khan in the 17th over, with the Vipers chasing 24 runs in 18 balls.

The next batter, Sherfane Rutherford hit two boundaries while Zahoor Khan picked up his second wicket through Sam Curran (28 runs) in the penultimate over. The Vipers needed six runs in six balls and Rutherford smoked AM Ghazanfar over deep square leg to seal the win in 19.1 overs.
In the first innings, the MI Emirates started well with Muhammad Waseem and Kusal Perera striking seven fours and a six to finish the powerplay at 48/0.

The runs dried up in the next phase of the innings as Wanindu Hasaranga picked up the first wicket of the night, trapping Waseem LBW for 18 runs. Kusal Perera also failed to convert a good start of 33 runs in 29 balls, falling to Dan Lawrence in the 10th over.

Nicholas Pooran and Tom Banton combined for a brief 22-run partnership but both batters fell in the 13th over. Skipper Lockie Ferguson dismissed Nicholas Pooran while Tom Banton was run out, leaving the MI Emirates at 86/4.

Kieron Pollard and Dan Mousley took the innings further with a 37-run stand. Mousley was dismissed by David Payne after a near run-a-ball knock of 15 runs.

Pollard gave the run-rate an injection with two fours and three sixes including two maximums of Lockie Ferguson in the 19th over. Ferguson had the final say though, dismissing Pollard in the same over after the West Indian had put on 36 runs in 23 balls.

The final over saw Romario Shepherd come out with all guns blazing, he scored an unbeaten 16 runs, smashing two sixes off David Payne as the MI Emirates finished at 159/6 in 20 overs.

On the thought process behind his innings, Player of the Match Fakhar Zaman said: “I think the fast bowlers were easy, but we were struggling against spinners. We just planned to play out their overs and take the game deep. It was because of the way the bowlers were bowling and the leg-side boundary was big, so I was looking for runs on the shorter boundary.”

MI Emirates skipper, Nicholas Pooran added: “I felt we were in the game; we were happy with 160, the way the pitch was playing, it seemed to be very tricky. It’s still young in the tournament, Mousley got us two wickets, we went searching for another, but we didn’t get it. Credit to Fakhar Zaman and Sam Curran, they played really well.”

Brief Scores
Desert Vipers bt MI Emirates by five wickets

MI Emirates 159/6 in 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 36, Kusal Perera 33, Muhammad Waseem 18, Lockie Ferguson 2 for 23, Wanindu Hasaranga 1 for 21, Dan Lawrence 1 for 21)

Desert Vipers 161/5 in 20 overs (Fakhar Zaman 67, Alex Hales 34, Sam Curran 28, Sherfane Rutherford 21 not out, Zahoor Khan 2 for 24, Dan Mousley 2 for 27, Waqar Salamkheil 1 for 29)

After beginning their ILT20 Season 3 campaign with a thrilling win, the Sharjah Warriorz fell short against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 160 on a tricky pitch, the Warriorz fell short by 30 runs.

Against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, the New Zealand pace bowler Adam Milne had given the Sharjah Warriorz the ideal start, bagging a couple of wickets in his first spell, as he finished the match with figures of 2/37. The Kiwi pacer was asking plenty of questions off the ADKR batters.

Reflecting on his team’s bowling performance and the pitch conditions, he stated, “I think with the ball, we probably didn’t finish as well as we wanted to and then they (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), bowled really well. It was still sort of moving around a little bit even in the second innings, so it wasn’t particularly easy batting conditions. We lost a number of wickets early which obviously stemmed the flow of runs and made it a difficult task towards the end.”

It is still early days in the tournament and the Sharjah Warriorz, who began Season 3 with a confident win, are making sure they focus on one game at a time. And up next for the Sharjah Warriorz, are the comforts of home turf. 

Milne reiterated that belief, highlighting the importance of winning as many games as possible. He said, “I think in any tournament, it’s important to win as many games as possible. You always want to win every game but you can’t always do that. Obviously, we had a good win in a tight game the other day. It’s nice to get over the line in those sorts of finishes, but we’ve got a couple of games coming up in Sharjah. So, if we can get a couple of wins there (in Sharjah) then it puts us right back where we need to be.”

Sharjah Warriorz will play their next two matches against Dubai Capitals on 17th January and MI Emirates on 19th January respectively, at their home ground, the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. 

Looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd, the New Zealand international added, “We’re all looking forward to getting out there and play our first game at home. Hopefully, the fans can come in, put up a bit of support for us and help us get over the line in a couple of days’ time.”

In the aftermath of Tuesday evening’s ILT20 Season 3 encounter at the Dubai International Stadium, Gulf Giants’ bowling all-rounder Mark Adair reflected on the team’s resilient performance against Desert Vipers. Despite suffering a six-wicket defeat in a low-scoring affair, where Desert Vipers successfully chased down the target with Sam Curran’s unbeaten 42 and Sherfane Rutherford’s quick-fire 40, Irish star Mark Adair highlighted the unwavering commitment and positive outlook within the Gulf Giants camp.

The match, which saw the Gulf Giants put up a spirited show of their total, was a hard-fought contest although the result didn’t go in their favor. 

Mark Adair was quick to praise his team’s efforts by sharing, “We showed great determination in defending our target, putting in a strong shift throughout the innings.”

Mark Adair also on analysing the team’s performance shared, “There were definitely opportunities for us to win the game, and we fought out there. While the result wasn’t in our favor this time, we know we have match-winning performances in us.”

Reflecting on the moments of Gulf Giants fought out hard battle, Mark Adair also added, “There were some tough moments during the game, but we know we’re capable of so much more,” Adair added.

 “We’ve been in tight situations before, and we know how to execute when it matters.”

Mark Adair’s positive attitude reflects the team’s collective mindset as they continue to push forward in the competition.

Reflecting on being under a stronger team side and professional environment fostered within the Gulf Giants franchise, Mark Adair expressed his optimism by sharing, “I’m absolutely loving my time here in Dubai, and the Gulf Giants have been a fantastic organization to be part of.” 

The Irish star also added, “With plenty of games still ahead in the season, we’re confident in our ability to bounce back strongly.”

Despite the setback, the Gulf Giants squad remain resolute and focused on their next steps in the tournament.

The atmosphere within the camp remains one of optimism and belief, with Adair expressing confidence in his team’s ability to turn the page and bounce back stronger in their next match against Dubai Capitals on January 18th.