Gulf Giants prevail over Knight Riders by three runs to confirm Qualifier 1 berth against MI Emirates

By K.R. Nayar
Chief Content Writer, DPWorld ILT20

(Please click ILT20 official website www.ilt20.ae for official release of this report and more pictures and videos)

Dubai. Gulf Giants pulled off a hard-fought three-runs win over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the 28th match of the DP World ILT20 season 2 at the Dubai International Stadium. Their skipper James Vince’s knock of 50 in 39 balls with five boundaries and a six, Jordan Cox’s 57 runs off 38 balls with two boundaries and four sixes, and their 103 opening partnership backed by Shimron Hetmyer's unbeaten 39 off 27 balls with five boundaries gave them a total of 166 for 3 in 20 overs.

Knight Riders chased through opener Jason Roy’s 47 off 31 balls with five boundaries and two sixes. He put on a 50 runs partnership for the second wicket off 24 balls with Joe Clarke (20) and a 51 runs partnership in 38 balls for the third wicket with Alishan Sharafu (29). Laurie Evans too tried hard through an unbeaten 33 runs, but that was not enough to win the match. The Giants will now take on MI Emirates in the Qualifier 1.

Jamie Overton (3 for 32) and Chris Jordan (2 for 22) lit up victory hopes for Knight Riders. With 11 runs needed off the last over, Blessing Muzarabani kept his cool and gave away only seven runs to ensure the Giants an exciting win. Jordan, who has taken nine wickets between the 16th and 20th overs, and with 31 wickets, is the highest wicket-taker in this tournament’s history.

Chris Jordan ... highest wicket-taker  

The chase was exciting with Joe Clarke, who joined Roy, hitting Muzarabani for three consecutive boundaries in the third over. Roy too opened out hitting Gerhard Erasmus for two sixes and two boundaries and took 20 runs off the fourth over. Their 50 runs partnership for the second wicket came in 23 balls before Overton had Clarke top edge his pull to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith for 20.

Jordan Cox receives the biggest six of the match award 

Alishan Sharafu and Roy accelerated the run flow and steered the total to 100 in 10.2 overs. Their 50 runs partnership came in 37 balls when Aayan Khan clean bowled Roy who went for a pull and missed the arm ball. Sharafu  followed stumped by Smith off Zuhaib Zubair for 29. 

James Vince with the green belt for the highest run getter 

Overton removed Imad Wasim for 4, caught by Vince at mid-on when 34 runs were needed for a win in the last five overs. Chris Jordan bowled a brilliant yorker to clean bowl Fabian Allen for 7 . When 11 runs were needed off 11 balls, David Willey got run out for 11 and Jordan clean bowled Sagar Kalyan for a duck. In the last over, Narine  got run out for 2 and Muzarabani gave away only seven runs to ensure Giants' victory.

Earlier, second-placed Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to bat against the third-placed Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Giants skipper and consistent scorer, James Vince, escaped being caught at his score of 1 when he top-edged David Willey to Alishan Sharafu at deep point. His partner, Jordan Cox, hit a boundary and two consecutive sixes off Josh Little, and the pair put on a 50-run partnership in 5.3 overs.

Cox was the first to reach his half-century in 28 balls with two boundaries and four sixes. In the first ten overs, Giants scored 85 runs, and the pair also posted their 100-run partnership in 11.3 overs. Vince reached his half-century in 38 balls but fell to the next delivery when Sagar Kalyan took a running and diving catch at backward square leg off Imad Wasim. Cox too fell soon, lifting Ali Khan to Little at long on.

Chris Lynn and Shimron Hetmyer, the two other fine hitters in the Giants team, came together wanting to capitalize on the good start. Ali Khan struck again to force Lynn to smash straight into the hands of Narine at covers for 6. Between the 10th and 15th overs, Giants could only score 38 runs and lost three wickets. Hetmyer, on 17, was dropped by Jason Roy at mid-off off by Little, and he, along with Jamie Smith, steered the total to the 150-mark in 18.1 overs. In the last five overs, Giants scored 43 runs, losing only one wicket.

Jamie Overton receives the Player of the Match award 

Player of the Match, Overton, explained in length how he bowled: “In T20, it's hard (to keep the cool). You just back what you are doing. We try to be unpredictable with our lengths. The wicket was slow at times. Some stopped a little bit, some skidded through. Back end, you are going to get hit, you just got to keep backing yourself.” He hailed UAE spinners Aayan Khan and Zuhaib Zubair too saying: “They have been phenomenal, holding those middle overs and picking crucial wickets.”

Winning skipper James Vince said: “The last four games have been magnificent. The last two games, we were in the game. They were ahead in the game, we showed a lot of character to fight back. He (Muzarabani) was worried about bowling the yorkers but I made him believe. We felt yorker was the best option. Two extremely young inexperienced (UAE) spinners, it's huge that they are performing in all games.”

Losing skipper Sunil Narine said: “The way they started, they were on course for over 190, we pulled them back, started well, but we then lost a cluster of wickets. Their spinners did a good job and they bowled well in the death overs.”

Brief scores:
Gulf Giants bt Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by three runs.  Gulf Giants 166 for 3 in 20 overs (James Vince 50, Jordan Cox 57, Shimron Hetmyer 39n.o, Ali Khan 2 for 39) Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 163 for 9 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 47, Joe Clarke 20, Alishan Sharafu 29, Laurie Evans 34n.o, Jamie Overton 3 for 32, Chris Jordan 2 for 22)
Player of the Match: Jamie Overton