Aggressive knocks from Chris Lynn and Shimron Hetmyer helped Gulf Giants chase down Desert Vipers’ mammoth rating of 195 for 4 to increase their profitable streak within the twelfth match of the DP World International League T20 on the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Gulf Giants recorded their fourth successive victory by way of a five-wicket win whereas Desert Vipers crashed to their first defeat regardless of Alex Hales‘ scintillating knock of 99 off 57 balls with 10 boundaries and 5 sixes. Lynn cracked 71 off 42 balls with eight boundaries and three sixes whereas Hetmyer smashed 70 off 35 balls with 5 boundaries and 5 sixes to win the match with three balls to spare.
Gulf Giants had gained the toss and elected to bowl. Desert Vipers openers Rohan Mustafa and Alex Hales scored steadily with Mustafa scoring two boundaries off the second over from Liam Dawson. Hales, after hitting Richard Gleeson for 2 boundaries within the third over, went on to hit David Wiese for a boundary and a six to long-off. The fourth over noticed Hales in full movement hitting Chris Jordan for 3 boundaries and a six to take 19 runs off the over. The pair placed on 54 runs in simply 5 overs.
Mustafa hit Lawson for a six to long-on and even reverse swept him for one more boundary however fell to the fourth ball of that over stumped by wicketkeeper Tom Banton for 23. Hales reached his half century in 26 balls. It was his fourth consecutive rating of over fifty runs from all of the 4 matches that Vipers performed on this match. Skipper Colin Munro, who joined Hales, hit Dawson and Rehan Ahmed for sixes. Desert Vipers recorded 104 for 1 on the half approach stage.
Gulf Giants anticipated David Wiese to offer the breakthrough however Munro hit him for 2 consecutive boundaries within the twelfth over. While Munro reverse swept Ahmed for a boundary, Hales slog swept him for a six. Fourteen runs have been hit off Ahmed’s over. In the 14th over, Gleeson compelled Munro to hit straight to Sanchit Sharma for 39. Hales and Munro had added a 67 runs partnership in 44 balls for the second wicket. Hales continued to hit sixes off Ahmed to mid-wicket and long-on taking the rating previous the 150-run mark in 15 overs. Sherfane Rutherford too joined the six-hitting act by getting one off David Wiese to deep mid-wicket.
While on 99, Jordan dismissed Hales, caught by Hetmyer at deep cowl. Next man Tom Curran bought bowled by Wiese for a duck and the probabilities of a complete of over 200 started to decrease. Wiese gave away solely 4 runs within the 18th over. Gleeson, who bowled the penultimate over, gave away only a boundary. Rutherford hit the final ball of the innings from Jordan for a six over lengthy on and remained unbeaten on 27 for a complete of 195 for 4 in 20 overs. The final 5 overs yielded solely 38 runs.
Spectacular chase
Faced with the problem of getting to attain at a run charge of 9.75, Gulf Giants misplaced their prolific run getter and captain James Vince to the fourth ball of the primary over. Vince performed Sheldon Cottrell on to his wicket for 4. Lynn who joined opener Tom Banton went for his photographs, hitting Gus Atkinson for 2 consecutive boundaries and Tom Curran for a mighty six. Curran struck within the fourth over having Banton brilliantly caught by Munro at mid-off operating again and judging nicely for 3. Next man Rehan Ahmed bought out stumped by Billing off Wanindu Hasaranga for 1.
Three wickets down for 35 in 5 overs, Lynn on 24, who miscued a lofted shot, bought dropped by Rutherford off Curran. Shimron Hetmyer hit Hasaranga for 3 consecutive sixes to take 23 runs off the seventh over. He additionally hit Benny Howell for 2 mighty sixes. When Lynn too hit Hasaranga for 2 sixes, Gulf Giants posted 106 for 3 by the half approach mark needing one other 90 runs to win. Lynn reached his half century in 28 balls whereas Hetmyer recorded his half century in 26 balls.
Desert Vipers re-introduced Cottrell for the 14th over and Hetmyer hit the primary two deliveries for a boundary and a six however fell to the third supply caught by wicketkeeper Billings for 70.
David Wiese joined Lynn with Gulf Giants needing 49 runs from 39 balls. Hasaranga bowled a good fifteenth over freely giving simply three runs. Atikinson compelled Lynn on 71 to play on to his wicket when 34 runs have been wanted in 22 balls. David Wiese (22n.o) and Liam Dawson (16n.o) took up the problem and steered their workforce to the goal with three balls to spare.
Speaking about their efficiency, Gulf Giants’ Shimron Hetmyer stated, “We have to remember what we are doing well and continue to keep doing that in the future. My mind was clear when I walked into bat. I thought that if we could get 40 runs in the powerplay then we would get to our target. I knew that anything could have happened with just one good partnership.”
Meanwhile, Desert Vipers’ head coach James Foster stated, “The Gulf Giants bowled exceptionally well during the last four overs of our innings. They used the big boundary to their advantage. I thought Gleeson was outstanding. We showed high levels of quality today, but ended up on the wrong side of the result. They put us under pressure with the bat and at times you just have to tell the opposition well played.”
Brief scores:
Gulf Giants bt Desert Vipers by 5 wkts. Desert Vipers 195 for 4 in 20 overs (Rohan Mustafa 23, Alex Hales 99, Colin Munro 39, Sherfane Rutherford 27n.o) Gulf Giants 196 for five in 19.3 overs (Chris Lynn 71, Shimron Hetmyer 70, David Wiese 22n.o, Sheldon Cottrell 2 for twenty-four)
Player of Match ($1500): Shimron Hetmyer
DP World Smart supply of the day ($1500): Sheldon Cottrell to Shimron Hetmyer
Fairplay News greatest hit of the match ($ 1500): Alex Hales’ six of 95 mts.
Skytech.Net Super 4s of the match ($1500): Alex Hales (ten boundaries)
Sportsbuzz Buzzmaker of the match ($1500): Alex Hales for scoring 137 fantasy factors
Green Belt Holder: Alex Hales
White Belt Holder: Sheldon Cottrell
Schedule for 23 January 2023:
Gulf Giants vs Sharjah Warriors – 6 pm GST (7:30 pm IST) – Dubai International Stadium
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a press launch)
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