In Tuesday’s 14th ILT20 season 2 match at Dubai International Stadium, Desert Vipers defeated MI Emirates in a thrilling two-wicket victory off the final ball following a tough battle.
The 14th match of ILT20 season 2 took place at Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday, with Desert Vipers defeating MI Emirates by a thrilling two wickets. During a tough battle, the Vipers won the game with the final ball. MI Emirates retaliated, bringing Vipers to 62 for 5, after being limited to 149 for 9 in 20 overs. Right up until the final over, the outcome of the game swayed like a pendulum. After taking 17 off Boult’s 17th over with a six and two boundaries, Sherfane Rutherford of the Vipers quickly put an end to any dreams of winning with 35 runs. Subsequently, Bravo’s slower delivery was caught by Kusal Perera midway.
The challenge to win off the final ball was accepted by Luke Wood and Shaheen Afridi, who scored 10 runs off Trent Boult’s final over and 17 runs off the final 12 balls together. For the final ball, they needed to score three runs in order to win.
Shaheen got to his knees and flung his bat behind him in celebration as soon as he finished the third run at the non-striker’s end with a full-fledged dive.
Their total was shaped by a 49-run partnership for the fifth wicket in 45 deliveries between Ambati Rayudu and Akeal Hosein, who scored 23 and 24 runs apiece. The total gained some respectability thanks to Tim David’s cameo of 28 off 14 balls.
Rohan Mustafa, the Vipers’ opener, chased the target by going for his shots and amassing 18 runs, including two boundaries and a six, before Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled him. Left-arm bowler Muhammad Rohid of the United Arab Emirates struck twice in the fifth over to dismiss opener Alex Hales for three runs and beautifully collected Adam Hose at first slip for a duck by a leaping Dwayne Bravo. Farooqi took the priceless wicket of captain Colin Munro, who was caught off guard by Nicholas Pooran, for four wickets.
Azam Khan entered the game with the score at 28 for 4 in 5.3 overs. He struck two consecutive boundaries off Farooqi’s opening two deliveries. Wanindu Hasaranga also quickened the pace of scoring, adding 34 runs for the fifth wicket before Rohid removed the belligerent Khan, who was caught by Boult at deep mid-wicket for 20.
The Vipers required 76 extra runs by the midway point. Emirates seized control of the game when Hasaranga also slapped Dwayne Bravo squarely to Boult during deep extra cover for 26. But with his 35 runs before the thrilling last over, Sherfane Rutherford turned the tide of the game.
