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Tag: ILT20

  • Twitter Reactions: Gulf Giants snatched the match from MI Emirates in last ball thriller

    Twitter Reactions: Gulf Giants snatched the match from MI Emirates in last ball thriller

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    The Gulf Giants registered a thrilling win in the final ball by five wickets against the MI Emirates in match 24 of the ongoing ILT20, at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. 

    James Vince, skipper of Gulf Giants won the toss and elected to field first. After scalping two wickets early on in the contest, Emirates were swiftly on the backfoot and the onus was on the middle-order batters to help revive the innings.

    West Indies explosive hitter Nicholas Pooran, who came down the middle order quickly hit the ground running and scored 42 runs in 29 balls which included three sixes and three boundaries at a strike rate of 144.82. However, that was the only highlight of the first innings as after his dismissal, the rest of the side collapsed thereby posting a low score of 139 runs in their stipulated 20 overs.

    A combined bowling performance from the Gulf franchise helped wrap up the first innings for an underwhelming total. English pacer Chris Jordan racked up a three-wicket haul whereas Dominic Drakes, David Wiese, and young Rehan Ahmed took two wickets each in the bowling line-up.

    Gulf Giants chase down 139 runs in the final ball of the contest

    Gulf clearly seemed favourites after a dominating first half by restricting the rival side from scoring big. Openers Tom Banton and skipper James Vince carved out a 61-run partnership which handed the team a terrific head start in the contest. 

    However, Emirates got a few wickets starting with James, who was sent packing for 26 runs followed by Banton, who was dismissed for 45 runs from 39 balls. The Kieron Pollard-led side slowly started to pick up as they got wickets at regular intervals and pushed till the very end.

    With just 3 runs needed off the last delivery, Shimron Hetmeyer held his nerve as he slammed a massive six to a thrilling last-ball win. With this, the side emerged victorious by five wickets against MI Emirates and are placed second on the points table with 12 points.

    Here is how Twitter reacted to the low-scoring game-

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  • Twitter Reactions: Dubai Capitals top-order thump Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in massive win

    Twitter Reactions: Dubai Capitals top-order thump Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in massive win

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    The miseries for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders continue as the side endured yet another loss at the hands of Dubai Capitals in Match 22 of the ongoing ILT20. Led by Rovman Powell, the Dubai franchise claimed a dominating win by seven wickets as the side handsomely bounced back from a loss in the previous game.

    The Dubai skipper, Powell, won the toss and decided to chase and immediately mounted pressure on the rival side. The only highlight in the Knight Riders batting innings was opener, Joe Clarke, who played a scintillating knock. 

    In his blitzkrieg of 52 runs from mere 27 balls,  the batter smashed eight boundaries and two maximums at a stunning strike rate of 192.59. However, this didn’t proved enough to give the side a decent total to defend in the second innings. 

    Abu Dhabi concluded their batting innings with a score of 149 for the loss of nine wickets courtesy of Adam Zampa, relishing another fine outing with a three-wicket haul. Hazrat Luqman and Akif Raja picked up two wickets each to wrap up the innings with bowling figures of 2/41 and 2/23, respectively.  

    Dubai top-order dominate in run chase

    Speaking about the second innings, George Munsey and Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella immediately hit the ground running to lay down a solid foundation. A perfect head start with their sensational partnership was what the duo openers stitched from the beginning.

    The openers got 59 runs between them before Dickwella was dismissed for 37 off 22 balls which brought in fellow Dasun Shanaka onto the crease. The Lankan skipper too did not waste much time and built another solid partnership with Munsey, this time with 62 runs between them.

    Though Abu Dhabi got three wickets, the match had already been dented with almost zero scope for reviving the innings. Skipper Rovman Powell then came and steered the side to comfortably win the contest by seven wickets. The home side have now lost seven games straight with just one point under their belt.

    Here is how Twitter reacted-

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  • ILT20, WATCH: Kieron Pollard’s monster six lands on the road outside Sharjah Stadium

    ILT20, WATCH: Kieron Pollard’s monster six lands on the road outside Sharjah Stadium

    The 21st match of the ongoing International League T20 (ILT20) was a one-sided affair where MI Emirates brutally crushed the Desert Vipers to acquire the third position in the points table. Mohammad Wasim and skipper Kieron Pollard lit up the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, taking the team’s total to a massive 241/3 in their assigned 20 overs.

    Waseem smashed 86 from just 44 deliveries, including 11 fours and 4 sixes, while Pollard slammed an unbeaten 50 off only 19 balls with the help of 4 fours and as many sixes. Out of Pollard’s four maximums, one grabbed quite a few eyeballs as the white leather went outside the stadium.

    It all happened during the final over of Emirates’ innings bowled by Tom Curran. The right-arm pacer went for a short pitch delivery outside the off-stump, and the Caribbean superstar pulled it over the deep mid-wicket region. The timing of the shot was so good that the ball sailed over the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and landed on the streets, where a person was caught taking the ball away with him.

    Here is the video:

    After posting a humungous 241/3 on the board, the Emirates bowlers’ took charge and came up with a jaw-dropping performance, bundling out the Vipers for just 84 in 12.1 overs. Fazalhaq Farooqi wreaked havoc and ended up picking three wickets for just 13 runs in 3 overs.

    Zahoor Khan (2/8) and Imran Tahir (2/18) also chipped in with a couple of wickets each, as only three batters from Vipers made it to double digits. Mark Watt and Curran’s 12 ended up being the joint highest individual scores in Vipers’ innings.

    “The guys batted well, I thought, especially the start. Yes (enjoying captaincy), a lot of experienced guys but also some not-so-experienced guys. Have played a lot around the world, so it’s about passing our knowledge,” said Pollard at the post-match presentation.



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  • Twitter Reactions: Desert Vipers scale points ladder after outclassing Dubai Capitals

    Twitter Reactions: Desert Vipers scale points ladder after outclassing Dubai Capitals

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    Desert Vipers clinched a win by 12 runs against Dubai Capitals in match 20 of the ongoing ILT20 at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, January 27. Fans finally witnessed action after the top-tier league saw spells of showers in the last couple of days due to which the matches were abandoned without a single ball bowled. 

    Opting to field first, the home side led by Rovman Powell restricted the rival team to 149 runs in their stipulated 20 overs of the contest. Powell’s counterpart, Colin Munro of Vipers swiftly hit the ground running but was unable to convert it into a big innings to help his side attain a mammoth total as he was sent packing for 40 runs in 32 deliveries by Adam Zampa. 

    The rest of the side which included the likes of Sam Billings, Tom Curran, and Sherfane Rutherford also failed to explode and the trio could only register scores of 25, 21, and 22 runs respectively before getting dismissed.

    Jake Ball and Fred Klaassen worked in tandem to scalp four wickets between them whereas Australia spinner Zampa relished picking a three-wicket haul and also returned economical figures of 4/16 in his four. 

    Powell-Yusuf fire all cylinders in run chase 

    In response to the total set by the home side, Vipers required reasonably good performances from the batting line-up to get them ahead in the contest. However, the side lost nearly half its batters in under 14 overs of the contest.

    In came skipper Powell and explosive hitter Yusuf Pathan, and the duo took the onus to revive the run chase. The duo carved out an important partnership of 52 runs which included Yusuf scoring 35* runs while Powell got runs 34* in 26 balls in the chase.

    Tom Curran controlled the rival batters from going big and snatched the victory in the final over. With such an impressive display, Vipers emerged victorious by 12 runs and are now top of the points table with 10 points in just six games.

    Here is how Twitter reacted to the contest:



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  • ILT20 2023: Twitter reacts as Alex Hales and Sam Billings guide Desert Vipers to big victory over Sharjah Warriors

    ILT20 2023: Twitter reacts as Alex Hales and Sam Billings guide Desert Vipers to big victory over Sharjah Warriors

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    Desert Vipers started their International League T20 2023 (ILT20) campaign with a big seven-wicket win over Sharjah Warriors in the fourth match on Sunday (January 15). Sharjah’s batter struggled from the beginning and managed to score just 145/5 while batting first with Joe Denly scoring 36 off 33 and Mohammad Nabi scoring 34 off 23. Then Alex Hales and Sam Billings scored big knocks to help the Vipers to an easy win with 20 balls remaining.

    Colin Munro won the toss and asked Sharjah Warriors to bat first at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. His decision proved very effective as the Vipers’ pacers took three big wickets in the powerplay overs. English left-arm pacer Tymal Mills proved very effective with the opponent’s captain Moeen Ali’s wicket and the Warriors were struggling at 68/5 in 11 overs.

    But Joe Denly and Mohammad Nabi dominated the last few overs and dragged the Warriors to a respectable total of 145/5 with an unbeaten 77-run partnership. English pacers Mills, Tom Curran, and Benny Howell took a wicket each and also proved economically impressive for the Vipers.

    The Vipers struggled to get off with a good start as they lost opener Rohan Mustafa on just eight runs in the inning’s first over. They lost captain Munro on a duck on Chris Woakes’ delivery in the next over and looked under pressure in their chase.

    But Alex Hales and Sam Billings avoided the further fall with a match-defining partnership of 128 runs for the third wicket. Billings was caught out on 49 runs but Hales remained unbeaten at 83 off 52 balls to guide Vipers to a crucial opening win in ILT20. Junaid Siddique proved the best bowler for Sharjah with a wicket at an economy rate of 6.37 but Afghanistan pacers Naveen-ul-Haq and Nabi struggled for the wickets.

    Here is how Twitter reacted to Desert Vipers’ big win over Sharjah Warriors in ILT20 2023:

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  • Caribbean dasher Evin Lewis gears up for ILT20 challenge

    Caribbean dasher Evin Lewis gears up for ILT20 challenge

    The destructive West Indies opening batsman Evin Lewis does not believe in planning too ahead into his future, and the only target in his sights is putting up a good show for Sharjah Warriors at the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20) tournament.

    That can only mean sixes and boundaries raining in the UAE’s flagship short-format competition which will be held from January 13 to February 12. His reputation precedes him as the only batsman after compatriot Chris Gayle and New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum to score two centuries in T20s.

    The left-handed opener took time off to address a few questions as fans look forward to the southpaw taking the Sharjah Cricket Stadium by storm.

    You are only among three players to have scored two T20 centuries. And that too against India, who have one of the best bowling attacks.How do you plan your innings?

    To be honest, I just play my natural game; just be in the right frame of mind. I don’t try to analyse or study a bowler too much and go into too many details. At the end of the day, a half volley is a half volley or a short ball is a short ball. I don’t try to play on a name too much; just play my cricket. I know what I can do and I back my strengths.  

    You have a reputation as an attacking batsman and Sharjah gives the impression of a smaller ground. Can Sharjah Warriors fans expect you to pepper spray plenty of sixes when you bat at the home base –the Sharjah Cricket Stadium?

    That is actually something I am looking forward to it. The ground may look small and it is important not to get carried away in the moment while batting. Also one must realise that in grounds such as Sharjah, Abu Dhabi or even Dubai, the pitches are great for batting.  

    The T20 leagues means more opportunities for players in world cricket. How do you see the ILT20 in that context?

    It is good for every player. Franchise leagues are there and at times at the same time. There is the ILT20, the South Africa League, Caribbean Premier League which just finished and then there is Big Bash before the Indian Premier League.

    There are plenty of good options, and yet international cricket is what the player yearns for and cherishes the most.

    Ultimately a player like me should choose his pick of franchise cricket and see where it works for him to play for the country. And I see the ILT20 in that context as far as I am concerned. The UAE is a great place to be, in any case.

    On paper how do you rate the composition of Sharjah Warriors squad members and the team leadership?

    I think we have a great side. There are good batsmen at the top, batsmen in the middle and good finishers towards the tail. And we got some pretty decent bowlers – there are spinners as well as in the fast bowling department. So I think we definitely have a good team that can give others a good run for their money.

    The new year starts with the ILT20 for you. What are your goals in the short-term future, and do you see Sharjah Warriors as a stepping stone towards those plans?

    I am not the type to plan ahead. Even on the pitch, I might have scored 60, 70 or even 100 but the next game is a new beginning for me. Likewise I don’t try to plan too much ahead, but definitely I am looking forward to starting this innings with Sharjah Warriors.

    West Indies are the only one team to win the T20 World Cup twice and were considered good in the format until recently. What could be the reason?

    I don’t think it is possible to go deep into it, but I would say that we just have not been lucky at times especially in the past two World Cups. 

    You have been away from the ODI squad for more than a year, and 2023 is the World Cup year while opportunities for WI are relatively less. What are your plans in this regard?

    As I said earlier, I don’t like to think too far ahead. I just need to play in tournaments like ILT20 or franchise cricket to keep doing what I enjoy and fix a few things here and there. It is the first season of ILT20 so cannot say much about what to expect, except to go out and win. We just have to play right cricket at the right time and just focus on the execution of it.

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  • International League T20: Complete schedule for the inaugural ILT20 announced

    International League T20: Complete schedule for the inaugural ILT20 announced

    Fixtures for the inaugural edition of the International League T20 (ILT20) have been announced, and Dubai Capitals will lock horns with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the opening game on January 13, 2023.

    The grand finale of the brand-new league will be played on February 12.

    All six teams, namely Dubai Capitals, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates, Sharjah Warriors and Desert Vipers, will face each other twice during the league-stage encounters.

    The top four teams will then be matched up to play one eliminator and two qualifiers – just like it happens in the Indian Premier League (IPL) – to identify the two finalists.

    The competition will set the cricket world on fire with overseas stars like Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Moeen Ali, among others boasting the five-weekend-day double-headers in UAE.

    Speaking about the ILT20 schedule, Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary, Emirates Cricket Board, said: “This is a very exciting time for the league and, collectively, we are delighted to announce the 2023 ILT20 playing schedule. To have superstars such as Dubai Capital’s Dasun Shanaka and Abu Dhabi Knight Rider’s Andre Russell open their teams’ accounts is very exciting.

    “We cannot wait for the teams to arrive (in early January) and battle it out in the park and provide world-class entertainment to the cricket fans here, in the UAE, and around the globe.

    “It is very important for us to launch the first season in an emphatic style, and the league management is very excited to have engaged with globally recognised artists in Badshah and Jason Derulo, both of whom will undoubtedly energise the teams, and the fans leading into the opening match. We are confident that the ILT20 will be a huge success,” he concluded.

    Here’s the official schedule for ILT20 2023:



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