In the 30th and final league match of DP World ILT20 season 2 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the Desert Vipers easily defeated the Sharjah Warriors by six wickets. The match had been reduced due to rain, and it resulted in an 18-over encounter.
Pitch Report and Toss Update
There is a small patch of grass on the pitch, but otherwise it’s bare, so the bounce could differ. Here, the first-inning scoring average is 144; three teams have won by batting first and three by chasing. As of now, spinners have dominated at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. So looking at the overcast conditions and at the pitch, Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to field first.
The Warriors started their innings slowly as the Desert Viper kept striking wickets at regular intervals
Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Niroshan Dickwella, the Warriors’ opening pair, amassed 25 runs in four overs until Sam Curran clean-bowled Kohler-Cadmore when he attempted a slog shot but missed. Dickwella (20) was the next to try a sweep to off-spinner Daniel Lawrence; however, the ball struck his pad and smashed into the stumps.
Luke Wells and Martin Guptill added 28 runs for the third wicket when leg-spinner Nathan Sowter clean-bowled Guptill, who attempted a slog sweep but missed, scoring 11. Desert Vipers’ bowlers didn’t allow the Warriors to score runs freely, as they were at 55/3 with nine more overs left.
PC: ESPNcricinfo
The Warriors fall short of a competitive total due to Pathirana and Sowter’s brilliant bowling
After joining Wells, Joe Denly lasted just five balls and scored two runs before being caught by Philip Salt at long-off by Sowter. Sean Williams and Wells added 25 more runs until Wells’ magnificent knock ended at 31, caught and bowled by Sowter. The man who kept the score going, Williams, was caught by Curran at mid-on after falling to Pathirana at 23.
In addition, Mustafa caught Daniel Sams, who contributed 15 runs, off Curran at long off. With the final two deliveries of the inning, Pathirana clean bowled Adil Rashid and Mark Watt to end the Warriors’ inning with a subpar score of 121 runs.
All the bowlers from the Desert Vipers were clinical and bowled economically. The standout bowlers for the Desert Vipers were Pathirana and Sowter, who took three wickets apiece, while Curran and Lawrence chipped in with two and one wicket, respectively.
PC: ESPNcricinfo
Desert Vipers’ openers set the tone for the chase
Desert Vipers quickly reached the 50 run mark in just3.5 overs as Salt took the Warriors’ bolwers to the cleaners. The Vipers’ opening batsman, Salt, reached 30 runs off 12 balls with four boundaries and two sixes in the chase before being removed by Sean Williams.
Dan Lawrence pulled Junaid Siddique to Nilansh Keswani at fine leg for seven after making his exit quickly. Siddique also smashed Hales’ off stump on 21 with an angled delivery. Dinesh Chandimal and his skipper Colin Munro led their team to victory, despite Munro being run out when seven runs were needed.
With openers Phil Salt (30) and Alex Hales putting on a 50-run partnership in 23 balls, Vipers raced to the target in 12.5 overs. Colin Munro (27) and Dinesh Chandimal (24*) added 49 runs for the fourth wicket.
PC: ESPNcricnfo
The bowling department of the Warriors also not up to the mark
The Warriors required a disciplined bowling performance to put pressure on the Vipers batting lineup, as they had a below-average score to defend. Unfortunately, their bowlers were unable to deliver, producing mediocre spells that made it easy for the Desert Vipers to set their terms and chase down the mark.
In every aspect of the game, the Desert Vipers were unquestionably the superior squad. They were invincible against the Sharjah Warriors in every aspect of the game, from batting to bowling to fielding, leaving no doubt about their dominance.
The Vipers, who were eliminated prior to the start of the match, triumphed with 31 balls remaining. This victory helped them drop the Warriors to the bottom of the table and take fifth place.
Also Read: ILT20 2024: Gulf Giants Secure Hard-Fought Victory Over MI Emirates