Shimron Hetmyer’s blistering half-century (54 off 35 balls) helped Gulf Giants beat Desert Vipers by 25 runs and seal a top-two finish in the ongoing ILT20 at the Dubai International Stadium here on Saturday.
Hetmyer, who was the Gulf Giants’ hero with his last-ball six in their last match against MI Emirates, once again played a stroke-filled inning, which included four sixes and two fours. In the 27th match of the tournament, captain James Vince scored 39 as Gulf Giants supported them by scoring 180 for 6 in 20 overs.
In reply, the Desert Vipers could only manage 155 for 6 against an onslaught from the Gulf Giants. Tom Curran tried his best to take his team to the target by scoring an unbeaten 42 in 33 balls with the help of five fours and a six, but his effort was not successful.
Earlier, Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to bowl after resting three of their regulars Wanindu Hasaranga, Gus Atkinson and Luke Wood. Gulf Giants opener and skipper Vince got his first boundary of the day in the first over, flicking Sheldon Cottrell, while his teammate Tom Banton hit Cottrell’s first six over the deep square leg stand.
With his score on 7, Banton survived a sharp stumping chance from wicketkeeper Sam Billings off Mustafa and one run later, he also avoided being run out on a throw from Rutherford, which missed the stumps. Banton tried his luck again in the fifth over, but Linton was accurate from the covers and hit the stumps to dismiss him for 20.
Gulf Giants scored 55 runs during the powerplay. However, in the seventh over, Chris Lynn was caught by Benny Howell off Mathisha Pathirana for 12 runs.
Vince continued to move up the scoreboard with some good shots. He hit a six over mid-wicket, dismissing left-arm spinner Linton. In the ninth over, Howell ended Vince’s knock by getting caught by Pathirana at short third man. Attempting a big shot, Vince reached the top and was dismissed for 39. At the halfway mark, the Gulf Giants were 89 for 3.
Hetmyer joined Gerhard Erasmus but was unable to get a boundary for long. Gulf Giants completed 100 runs in 11.4 overs. Hetmyer hit Howell for a six and hit the next ball for a straight four in the 12th over. He also hit Mustafa, brought in in the 14th over, towards the mid-wicket stand.
Erasmus, who took 13 balls to score 15 runs, was caught by Tom Curran at long-on off Linton. After this, Hetmyer hit Pathrina for a six over long on. Gulf Giants put up 150 in 16.4 overs with David Wiese flicking to the boundary. Eight runs later, Wiese had Cottrell caught for 14 by Mustafa, who took a running and slipping catch at midwicket.
Hetmyer hit his fourth six and took Sheraz Ahmed to the long on stand and brought up his fifty in 30 balls. He was dismissed by Cottrell on the fifth ball of Pathirana’s last over for 58, ensuring an impressive total for his team.
Alex Hales and Rohan Mustafa started the Desert Vipers’ chase on a grassless wicket. Mustafa hit Dominic Drakes for three fours in the first over. He hit Carlos Brathwaite for a four and a six in the second over.
The pair got their team off to a brisk start when Hales also hit Drake for a six and a four. Their 50-run partnership came in 4.1 overs when Mustafa hit two more fours off Drakes and when Hales hit Chris Jordan for a six over long-on.
On 57, Wiese succeeded Mustafa and dismissed wicket-keeper Tom Banton for 28. He conceded just one run in the last over of the powerplay.
UAE’s 17-year-old left-arm spinner Ayaan Afzal Khan was introduced for the seventh over and picked up the valuable wicket of Hales, forcing him to slog sweep Drakes over mid-wicket for 27. He gave only three runs in his over. First over. In the eighth over, Brathwaite got Colin Munro hit high by Wiese at long-on for 2 runs.
Ayan also bowled a tight ninth over and conceded only five runs. With pressure mounting to score quickly, Sherfane Rutherford, going for a big hit over Erasmus, was caught by Wiese at long-off for 2.
With half the team back in the dugout for 88 in the 12th over, Sam Billings dismissed Jordan for 22 by wicket-keeper Banton. 13.1 overs.
In the last five overs, Desert Vipers needed 59 runs and Drakes removed Howell in the first ball of the 16th over, caught and bowled him for 19 runs. Tom Curran tried his best to take his team to the target by scoring an unbeaten 42, but failed. ,
“It was a big game for us as we wanted to cement our place in the top two. Every single bowler has stood up when needed in the tournament. Ayan Afzal Khan bowled brilliantly today. Bowlers supported each other well. Everyone is doing their job,” David Wiese of the Gulf Giants said after the win.
Meanwhile, Tom Karan of Desert Vipers said, ‘Losing wickets in a cluster didn’t help us. I thought we could get the target at one point in the game. If I was batting with a recognized batsman, it would have been a different story. I also felt that he scored too many runs. It was not a straight wicket. We probably did something wrong with the ball and that could happen.”
Abbreviated Score:
Gulf Giants 180 for 6 in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 54, James Vince 39; Mathisha Pathirana 36 for 2) beat Desert Vipers 155 for 6 in 20 overs (Tom Curran 42 not out, Rohan Mustafa 28; Gerhard beat Erasmus 1/1). 25 runs.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)