MI Emirates crushed the Dubai Capitals by 45 runs to win the DP World ILT20 Season 2. Their run riot, orchestrated by captain Nicholas Pooran and half-centuries from Andre Fletcher, created the highest total this season.
Pitch report and Toss update
The Dubai International Cricket Stadium’s pitch offers bowlers and batters an equal opportunity to succeed. Significant swing can be exploited by fast bowlers, especially when the new ball is introduced early in the game.
In contrast, spinners could find it challenging to get a firm grip because of the surface’s constant evenness. However, batters will probably get an advantage as the game goes on, especially after the first few overs. The Dubai Capitals won the toss and opted to bowl first.
MI Emirates’ openers got off team to a flying start
Waseem, the opener for MI Emirates, got things going with a six over long-on off Scott Kuggeleijn, while Kusal Perera, his partner, produced some elegant drives. In just 3.3 overs, the two reached their half-century partnership.
Waseem struck two boundaries and a six against Kuggeleijn during that over. MI Emirates completed the powerplay with 72 runs. Just seven short of his fifty, Waseem received a blow by Zahir Khan, who then lifted him to Rovman Powell at mid-off. Together with Perera, Andre Fletcher kept the run flow going and guided the total to 100 runs in 10.5 overs.
Skipper Pooran’s firework led MI Emirates to a mammoth total
Attempting a slog sweep to Sikandar Raza, Perera was dismissed for 38 by Leus du Plooy with a diving catch at deep mid-wicket, with the score at 102. In an attempt to hinder the run flow, spinners Raza and Zahir Khan were blasted for sixes by Fletcher and skipper Nicholas Pooran.
They put on a 50-run partnership in 28 balls, and in 15.5 overs, they surpassed 150 runs. The 56-run partnership was terminated by another magnificent diving catch made by Du Plooy at backward square leg to Fletcher’s top-edged pull. Pooran was joined by Kieron Pollard, and in the 18th over, he hit two massive sixes and a boundary to smash Jason Holder for 19 runs.
With two overs remaining and the score at 177 for three, the spectators prepared to applaud when the 200-run mark was reached. MI Emirates scored on the fifth ball of the final over with a six from Pooran. He also scored his half-century on 26 balls, courtesy of these six. The final five overs saw Emirates score 74 runs.
Dubai Capitals started sluggishly as they kept losing wickets
The Capitals struggled early to chase the massive score as MI Emirates’ Akeal Hosein, who has been striking frequently in the opening over, trapped Leus du Plooy’s leg for a duck. Trent Boult dropped Tom Abell at mid-off when he was on 7, but Pollard later got him off Rohid Khan for 14.
Banton and his skipper, Sam Billing, advanced the score to 63 when Banton was foxed by leg spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and stumped by Pooran for 35. That brought Billings and Raza to the crease, who helped the Capitals’ score reach 78/3 at the halfway mark.
The chase became impossible for Capitals as the asking rate kept on increasing
Just 10 runs were scored by Sikandar Raza, the Capitals’ player, who has often condemned game-winning knocks to Waseem at deep mid-wicket. Waqar Salamkheil removed Billings, who had been stumped by Pooran, for a gutsy 40, and the Capitals faced the challenge of hitting 100 runs in 41 balls.
After that, Trent Boult struck again to get rid of Rovman Powell, whom Waseem had caught at deep midwicket, and to clean bowl Jason Holder for 24 runs to secure the win for his side.
Despite Sam Billings‘ best efforts and many switch hits throughout the innings, the MI spinners applied their grip because the score was too high. Dubai consistently lost wickets at inconvenient times. Boult came back and picked up a couple of wickets, but Viyaskanth took two and Salamkheil took one wicket.
