ABU DHABI: The MI Emirates cruised to their first win of the DP World ILT20 season against the Dubai Capitals at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday evening.
With half-centuries from Tom Banton and Nicholas Pooran, the MI Emirates clinched a 26-run win.
Shai Hope was the star of the match with a magnificent 101 runs in 59 balls, but it was in vain as the Dubai Capitals lost to the MI Emirates for the first time in the tournament’s history.
The course of the game turned in favor of the MI Emirates with Fazalhaq Farooqi’s over, where he picked up two wickets and conceded just three runs.
With the Capitals chasing a daunting target of 188, the MI Emirates opened their bowling with spin. Akeal Hosein was handed the new ball and the move nearly paid off in the third over.
This was when Ben Dunk skied a quicker one, but Waqar Salamkheil dropped the sitter. Hope, at the other end, did the bulk of the scoring and anchored the Capitals’ innings.
Alzarri Joseph gave the MI Emirates the breakthrough as he bowled Dunk in the sixth over, but Hope motored on at the other end and brought up his 50 in 32 deliveries.
Hope and McMullen put up 61 for the second wicket before the latter was stumped by Pooran. It was a redemption tale for Salamkheil as he finally got his man.
Hope remained unscathed and hit AM Ghazanfar for a four and six as he brought up his T20 career’s second century. This was the first century scored by a Dubai Capitals player and also the third 100 in the history of the DP World ILT20. Hope fell with the next ball.
The momentum swung the MI Emirates’ way thereafter as Farooqi dismissed Sikandar Raza with a toe-crushing yorker. Farooqi made it two in two as he crafted another brilliant yorker to get rid of Dasun Shanaka’s off-stump.
The Dubai Capitals were left to rue their chances as Zahoor Khan bowled a fantastic 19th over, giving away just one run. The Dubai Capitals needed 36 in the final over, but it proved to be too steep a hill to climb.
Earlier in the evening, the MI Emirates stuttered as Dushmantha Chameera was on the money in his very first delivery. He outfoxed Kusala Perera and dislodged his leg stump to give the Dubai Capitals an early footing in the game.
Banton joined Muhammed Waseem in the middle and the duo offered the MI Emirates much-needed stability with a key partnership of 38 runs that was littered with boundaries.
However, Raza made amends for a missed catch earlier as he found the stumps with a stunning throw from mid-off and Waseem returned to the pavilion for 18. The powerplay ended with the MI Emirates putting up 50 for two, with both teams having plenty of positive takeaways.
Banton continued to thrive on one end, bringing up his half-century in style as he swept Zahir Khan for a huge six on the leg side to wrap up the 11th over.
Coming in at number four, Pooran joined the party as he clobbered two fours and six sixes in a 29-ball endeavor that yielded 59 runs. Pooran took Olly Stone for three successive sixes in the 15th over.
The skipper began his onslaught with a perfectly timed scoop, the next was a fortunate edge that sailed over the ropes, and the third was a repeat of the first. In pursuit of a fourth consecutive maximum, he holed out to Shanaka at deep midwicket.
Stone struck again in the 18th over as he got rid of Banton, the architect of MI Emirates’ innings, for a top score of 74 runs in 52 balls.
Romario Shepherd, Kieron Pollard and Joseph made up Gulbadin Naib’s second consecutive three-wicket haul in the final over as the Capitals restricted the MI Emirates to 187 for seven.
Expressing his regret on not bringing the Capitals home, centurion Hope said: “A 100 always feels a lot sweeter when you end up on the winning side.
“Just unfortunate I could not get the team there, but we just fell short with the bat. It was a pretty good pitch, and I thought we did well to restrict them to under 200.”
Meanwhile, Player of the Match, Banton remarked: “It was tricky to begin with. We spoke pre-game that someone’s got to bat through the innings. I looked to put pressure back on the bowlers when the ball was in my area.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket here and the wickets are always good. It’s my first year here, I was with MI Cape Town last year. Someone has to put his hand up every game, and today it was me.”
Brief scores:
MI Emirates beat Dubai Capitals by 26 runs.
MI Emirates 187-7 in 20 overs (Tom Banton 74, Nicholas Pooran 59, Kieron Pollard 22, Gulbadin Naib 3 for 27).
Dubai Capitals 161-6 in 20 overs (Shai Hope 101, Brandon McMullen 16, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2 for 22).
