Last Update: January 29, 2023, 11:38 AM IST
ILT20: Desert Vipers beat Dubai Capitals (Screengrab)
Desert Vipers beat Dubai Capitals by 12 runs to top ILT20 points table
Desert Vipers register a thrilling 12-run win over Dubai Capitals in DP’s 20th match World The ILT20 is up for grabs on the top of the points table at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday night.
Although the Desert Vipers could only manage 149 runs for 9 wickets with the help of Colin Munro’s two fours and two sixes in the captain’s innings of 40 runs off 32 balls, but Dubai Capitals bowled brilliantly and accurately and scored 137 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs. Make only Rohan Mustafa (2/27) got good support from Mathisha Pathirana and Tom Curran. Adam Zampa, playing his first match for Dubai Capitals, bowled brilliantly and took three wickets for 16 runs and won the Player of the Match award.
Dubai Capitals captain Rovman Powell (34n.o) and Yusuf Pathan (35n.o) stitched an unbeaten 52-run partnership in 6.3 overs but their efforts went in vain against a tight bowling line-up.
Dubai Capitals won the toss and elected to bowl. Desert Vipers opener and United Arab Emirates’ Rohan Mustafa was dismissed by Jake Ball on the fifth ball of the first over to wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa for 1 run. Captain Colin Munro joined them along with prolific scoring opener Alex Hales. After scores of 83n.o, 64, 110, 99, 62n.o, Hales failed first time around, charging out to Aakif Raja and missing a good length delivery to be bowled for 12.
Munro hit a six and a four off Fred Klaasen in successive balls. Sam Billings also hit Raja for a boundary towards mid-wicket. Munro then hit Raja for another six. Desert Vipers scored 68 runs during the powerplay. Munro hit two more fours in the sixth over off Jake Ball, but failed to maintain the momentum after that.
Sikandar Raza and Adam Zampa, who bowled the seventh and eighth overs respectively, tightened the run flow and conceded only five runs each. In the tenth over, Zampa trapped Billings lbw for 25 and ended a 44-ball 65-run third-wicket partnership with a googly.
Wanindu Hasaranga faced only seven balls to score nine runs and got Zampa straight to Sikandar Raza at long-on. Zampa took his third wicket in the 14th over, when Munro had him caught by Dasun Shanaka for 40.
With half the team back in the dugout for 110 in 15 overs, Sherfane Rutherford and Tom Curran added 40 more runs from 32 balls for the sixth wicket, before the ball caught Rutherford at extra cover for 22 by Shanaka . On the first ball of the last over, Rovman was caught by Powell at long off for 21 runs. The Desert Vipers’ innings ended one run short of 150 when Klaasen had Ali Nassar caught by Shanaka in the fifth ball and dismissed Gus Atkinson. Run out till the last ball In the last five overs, Desert Vipers scored only 39 runs and lost four wickets.
Chasing 150, Dubai Capitals lost opener Robin Uthappa for 1 in the second over after Curran took a running catch at mid-on. In the third over, opener Hazratullah Zazai also got rid of Sheldon Cottrell by wicket-keeper Billings for 6 runs. UAE’s Chirag Suri and Shanaka took the score to 45 in 8.1 overs when Hasranga brilliantly caught Shanaka and bowled him for 24. Suri scored 16 before lifting Rohan Mustafa. Hasaranga to deep mid-wicket.
At the half-way mark, Dubai Capitals were 53 for 4, needing another 97 runs to win. Sikandar Raza was joined by his Captain Powell. In the 13th over of Hasaranga, Powell hit a big six over long-on and also hit a four to take 14 runs from the over. Raza hit Mustafa’s first two balls for two consecutive sixes on the first two balls of the 14th over, but wicketkeeper Billings was caught by wicketkeeper Billings for 15 runs on the third ball.
With 65 needed off 39 balls, Yusuf Pathan joined Powell and hit Mathisha Pathirana for a four and a huge six over long-off. He hit another four and a six over mid-off off Curran. Pathirana bowled the 17th over and conceded only three runs. Curran made it difficult by conceding only seven runs in the 18th over.
The Saturday crowd went to the edge of their seats with 23 needed off the last 12 deliveries. Pathirana conceded only six runs in the 19th over, leaving Curran needing 17 runs off the last over. He conceded only four runs and guided the Vipers to a 12-run win. Powell scored an unbeaten 34 off 26 balls with the help of one four and two sixes while Pathan scored an unbeaten 35 off 26 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.
Dubai Capitals remain at the fifth spot with two wins and four losses and only five points.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)