MI Emirates thrashed the Gulf Giants, the defending champions, in a dominant display to win the DP World ILT20 season 2 Qualifier 1 by 45 runs at Dubai International Stadium, thus advancing straight to the final match. While the Gulf Giants will square off in qualifier 2 with the Dubai Capitals on 15th February.
Pitch report and toss update
A few days ago, this field at Dubai International Cricket Stadium was much greener. The play came before the green tint disappeared. The pitch’s dryness indicated that the spinners would be crucial as the game progressed. The dew won’t have any significance throughout the game. The Gulf Giants chose to field after winning the toss.
Daniel Worrall’s clinical bowling spell thrashed the top order of the MI Emirates
Before Waseem was removed, when Daniel Worrall took his wicket for 12, opener Muhammad Waseem and Kusal Perera had a partnership of 34 runs in 4.1 overs. Worrall smacked Andre Fletcher clean-bowled with a stunning in-swinger on the next delivery.
Perera was joined by skipper Nicholas Pooran, who had traveled in from Perth following the one-day series between Australia and the West Indies. Worrall struck again at 46, forcing Perera to edge to Jamie Smith, the wicketkeeper, for 22.
That brings Bravo and skipper Pooran to the crease, who kept the scoreboard ticking to steady the ship. By the halfway point, the experienced Bravo and Pooran had brought the total up to 69 runs for MI Emirates.
MI Emirates reached a fighting total, with some power hitting at the end
Pooran, who had been keeping the scoreboard moving with some courageous strokes, was caught by Hetmyer at deep square leg for 36 by Zuhaib Zubair, a young leg-spinner from the United Arab Emirates. Bravo’s two consecutive sixes off Liam Dawson in the 13.3rd over took the score above 100 runs.
Bravo’s thirty-run innings came to an end when Muzarabani got him caught by Jordan Cox at deep mid-wicket. Tim David was trapped by Hetmyer at deep square leg by Muzarabani, and he fell for 29. Pollard scored a rapid 27 from 14 balls to stay unbeaten. MI Emirates lost two wickets while scoring 50 runs in the final five overs.
Despite Australian medium pacer Daniel Worrall’s excellent performance of 3 for 15 from his four overs, well supported by Blessing Muzarabani (2/34), MI Emirates had managed to score a formidable total of 163 for 7. Zubair also chipped in with one wicket. Apart from these three, other bowlers were slightly expensive in their spells.
The Gulf Giants chase started sluggish as Akeal Hosein’s sensational spell mounted pressure on them
The Giants’ chase got off to a rough start as captain and reliable striker James Vince was clean bowled by Akeal Hosein with the opening ball of the inning. Muhammad Rohid, the UAE’s left-arm medium pacer, struck the top of Jordan Cox’s off stump beautifully for 1, while Chris Lynn had Hosein caught by Fletcher at point for a run-a-ball of 18.
The score went up to 46 by Jamie Smith and Usman Khan after Viyaskanth forced Smith to lift for 10 straight into Tim David’s hands at long on. Hetmyer got off to his typical start, hitting Viyaskanth’s opening delivery for a six. After scoring seven runs in just four balls, he edged Bravo to the wicketkeeper, Pooran.
MI Emirates were all over the Giants as the Giants were in deep trouble with five down for 57 at the halfway mark.
Waqar Salamkheil got rid of the Giants’ lower order batsmen
In order to make things easier for Emirates, Overton was run out for five. Boult caught Usman Khan for a 26-run out at long off. Chirs Jordan hit 31 runs off of 15 balls to delay the Emirates’ victory, but Boult caught him off Salamkheil at long off to bundle out the Giants for 118 runs.
The opposition was unable to score easily courtesy of the bowlers from MI Emirates, who especially took advantage of the spin-friendly conditions. The Giants were dismissed for 118 in 18.2 overs by 22-year-old leg spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth of Sri Lanka, who claimed 3 for 22, following early blows from Windies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (2/13) and Waqar Salamkheil of Afghanistan (2/27).
In Qualifier 2, the Gulf Giants will square off against the dangerous Dubai Capitals; the winner of that match will play the MI Emirates in the Finals.
