Late innings fireworks by Nicholas Pooran and Tim David helped the MI Emirates convert a lukewarm start into a comfortable 18-run victory against reigning champions Gulf Giants in the fourth match of the ongoing DP World ILT20 here at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
Moving at a run-a-ball for his first 17 deliveries, Nicholas Pooran smashed three fours and four sixes to score 51 runs in 18 deliveries while Tim David hammered 41 runs in the death overs to set the Gulf Giants a formidable target of 180 runs to win.
In response, the Gulf Giants’ run chase began with a promising start anchored by James Vince’s half century.
Jamie Overton’s 41 off 18 balls studded with five sixes gave his team a much-needed injection, however a clinical performance by the MI Emirates’ bowling unit led by Fazalhaq Farooqi, restricted the Giants to 161 for 9. Farooqi was the pick of the bowling with figures of 4 for 25.
Elated by his team's victory the winning captain, Nicholas Pooran said, “We were ready with the result, and happy that the guys responded to the challenge. With wickets in hand, you can always go big in the last 5-6 overs.”
Meanwhile Player of the Match, Tim David expressed his delight in contributing to the team’s victory, he said, “It is nice to make any contribution for the side. The boys laid the platform, and I just took it on. It's about finding a method that is going to work for you in that game, take that risk and see what happens.”
Skipper of the Gulf Giants, James Vince, conceded that his side could have come up with a better effort but highlighted his enthusiasm for the upcoming games.
“We never quite got ahead in the game, their finish with the bat was superb. I think we got bogged down before I got out and that was a key moment in the game. We will have a quick debrief ahead of the next game and see where we can improve” he lamented.
Pooran's explosive fifty and Tim David's power-hitting propel MI Emirates
Electing to bowl first, the Gulf Giants enjoyed an early breakthrough when Dominic Drakes dismissed Will Smeed for just one run in the second over. Despite a challenging start against the swing and bounce, Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher managed to push the MI Emirates to 41 for 1 by the end of the powerplay, with Waseem hitting two consecutive sixes. However, Waseem fell to Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the following over for only 19 runs.
Nicholas Pooran joined Andre Fletcher in a labored partnership, adding 22 runs in the middle overs. Fletcher departed for 28 runs, and then Ambati Rayudu and Pooran launched a fierce assault on the Giants' bowling, forging a 69-run partnership in just 32 deliveries. Pooran reached his half-century in 27 balls, while Rayudu contributed a quick 25 runs. However, Chris Jordan's pivotal 18th over saw the dismissal of both Pooran and Rayudu, halting the attack.
In the death overs, Tim David played a blitzkrieg of two fours and fives sixes to score 41 runs in 15 balls and catapult the MI Emirates to a formidable total of 179 for five in 20 overs.
James Vince and James Overton exploits diminished by Fazalhaq Farooqi
Tasked with chasing at nine runs per over, the Gulf Giants had an explosive start spearheaded by captain James Vince, who struck boundaries at will. At the end of five overs, the Giants were powering through with 48 runs for no loss. In the final over of the powerplay, Fazalhaq Farooqi’s potent bowling earned him the wickets of Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox in consecutive deliveries. UAE’s Usman Khan joined James Vince with the score reading 48 for two.
At the halfway mark of the innings, Usman Khan and James Vince had put on 33 runs and the Giants were falling behind the required run rate, needing 99 runs in ten overs. In a bid to accelerate, Usman Khan was dismissed by Waqar Salamkheil for 22 runs. Meanwhile, James Vince brought up his half century in only 38 balls, comprising seven fours and a six. Soon after, the Gulf Giant’s captain was sent back to the dressing room by Dwayne Bravo in the 14th over to bring Shimron Hetmyer to the crease.
Between the 12th and 15th over, the Gulf Giants only managed to gather 12 runs, leaving them with a steep equation of 71 runs needed in the final five overs. In the 17th over, James Overton reinvigorated the run chase with three consecutive sixes in Waqar Salamkheil ‘s over, followed by two sixes off Trent Boult in the next over. Once Overton was dismissed by Farooqi, the defending champs lacked the firepower to push their total beyond 161.
Brief Scores
MI Emirates 179 for 5 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 51, Tim David 41, Andre Fletcher 28; Chris Jordan 2 for 48, Mujeeb ur Rehman 1 for 23) Gulf Giants 161 for 9 in 20 overs (James Vince 52, James Overton 41, Usman Khan 22; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4 for 25, Trent Boult 2 for 39)
Player of the Match: Tim David of MI Emirates
Babar's captain's innings leads Pakistan to victory as series drawn with New Zealand
Babar Azam top scored as he led his Pakistan team to a nine-run victory over New Zealand in Lahore that saw the five-game T20I series end in a draw.
Babar hit 69 runs off 44 balls before being bowled by Ben Sears, smashing six fours and two sixes to take his team to 123/3 at the time of his dismissal.
Fakhar Zaman (43 from 33) and Usman Khan (31 off 24) also chipped in with important innings as Pakistan ended on 178/5.
With a target of 179 to secure a 3-1 series victory, New Zealand's run chase faltered almost immediately as opener Tom Blundell was removed within the first over with his team having managed just five runs on the board.
Blundell's fellow opener Tim Seifert steadied the ship with a vital 52-run innings off 33 deliveries before being bowled by Usama Mir, but Shaheen Shah Afridi led the way for Pakistan, finishing with figures of 4-30 to stem the New Zealand run chase
Josh Clarkson's 38 off 26 set up a nervy conclusion, but Pakistan held on to avoid defeat in the T20 series as the teams share the spoils at two wins apiece after the first game was abandoned.
IPL: Fraser-McGurk leads the way as Capitals hold off Mumbai
Delhi Capitals withstood Mumbai Indian’s late surge and held on for a 10-run victory at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Jake Fraser-McGurk top-scored with 84 – hitting 50 off just 15 balls – while Tristan Stubbs (48) and Shai Hope (41) also chipped in with important contributions as the Capitals set a target of 258.
Mukesh Kumar (3/59) and Rasikh Salam (3/34) did their best to halt Mumbai’s revival, but they turned up the pressure to require 25 runs from the final over.
However, despite Luke Wood and Piyush Chawla’s best efforts, Delhi held out for a second successive win.
Data debrief
Wood almost made amends after conceding 68 runs during the opening innings – the joint-most in the IPL this season, matching Reece Topley’s tally against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Tilak Varma led Mumbai’s attempted revival with 63 for his sixth half-century in the IPL, though they have all come in defeats
Chase outdone by opposite number Paudel as West Indies A suffer four-wicket loss to Nepal
West Indies A’s tour of Nepal got off to an unfortunate start, after they suffered a four-wicket loss to their host in a high scoring opening fixture of their five-match Twenty20 series at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, on Saturday.
Set a formidable 204 by West Indies A, Nepal’s thrilling victory, which was set up by a captain’s knock from Rohit Paudel, etched their names in the history books, as they successfully got to their target at 206-6 with two balls to spare.
Paudel smashed a 54-ball 112, including 10 fours and two sixes to see his team to a 1-0 lead in the series, which West Indies Head coach Darren Sammy said offers his team a chance to define roles and personnel more clearly for their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad.
However, the Caribbean side’s all-round effort was found wanting, as only captain Roston Chase (74), Alick Athanaze (47) and Keacy Carty (38) offered any resistance with the bat, while only Obed McCoy (2-34) and Matthew Forde (2-49) had some semblance of success with the ball.
Scores: West Indies A 204-5 (20 overs); Nepal 206-6 (19.4 overs)
Asked to take first strike, after losing the toss, West Indies A suffered an early blow, as they lost Johnson Charles (zero) off the last ball of the opening over, with 16 runs on the board. Andre Fletcher (13) stuck two sixes off five balls, before he too departed via the run-out route, leaving West Indies A at 43-2 in the fourth over.
However, Athanaze went about business, striking three sixes and five fours in a 25-ball knock, as he put on 43 for the third wicket with Chase, prior to his demise. From there, Chase and Carty added another 60 runs in a fourth-wicket stand that defined the innings.
Carty’s 38 off 26 balls, included two fours and three sixes, while Chase, who anchored the innings with a captain’s knock, struck nine fours and two sixes in his 46-ball 74. Kadeem Alleyne, on 14, and Keemo Paul, one, were left not out.
No Nepal bowler took more than one wicket.
With runs on the board, West Indies A would have felt confident of wrapping up a win, even more so, after Forde and McCoy combined to remove openers Anil Sah (five) and Kushal Bhurtel (16) to have Nepal at 38-2 in the fifth over.
West Indies remained in the ascendancy when Fletcher and Charles combined to run out Kushal Malla (16), leaving their host on the ropes at 82-3 at the halfway mark.
However, Paudel showed class, in not only reviving his team’s innings, but pushed them all the way with some aggressive stroke play, assisted by wayward bowling from West Indies A attack at times. Dipendra Singh Airee (24) offered support to his captain in getting Nepal across the line for a famous victory.
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