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In a thrilling encounter in ILT20 2024, Sikandar Raza smashed a last-ball six to lead Dubai Capitals to a five-wicket win over Desert Vipers. Raza and skipper Sam Billings scored half-centuries in the absence of David Warner to help Dubai Capitals register their fourth win from nine games and stay alive in the playoffs race.
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Earlier, Billings won the toss and opted to field first. Desert Vipers got off to a flying start. In the third over, Alex Hales smashed Richard Ngarava for three sixes and a couple of fours. The partnership was broken in the fifth over by Roelof van der Merwe. Philip Salt departed for an 11-ball 26 in an attempt to reverse sweep. After the powerplay overs, Desert Vipers had 80 runs on the board.
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Playing his first match after leaving for national duty, Daniel Lawrence smashed a six and a four during his short stay at the crease. Hales reached his half-century in style with a maximum. He took 25 balls to reach the milestone. Van der Merwe got another wicket in the form of Lawrence. In the next over, Olly Stone returned to dismiss skipper Colin Munro. In his next over, he dismissed Hales as well. The opener scored 66 runs from 37 balls including four fours and six sixes.
Raza created pressure with the ball and trapped Adam Hose in front of the stumps in the 15th over. Sam Curran struggled to score freely and became Haider Ali's only victim of the evening. Curran scored 17 runs from 18 balls. Michael Jones and Ali Naseer struggled in the slog overs. In the final overs, Jones managed to hit a six only to get out to Scott Kuggeleijn's next ball. Despite a terrific start, Desert Vipers managed to post 171/7.
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Dubai Capitals' run chase did not get off to an ideal start. Max Holden hit a couple of boundaries before losing his wicket to Curran in the second over. Ben Dunk got bowled by Mohammad Amir in the third over. After two boundaryless overs, Tom Banton departed for a 16-ball 15 to Naseer. Dubai Capitals were 38/3 after the powerplay overs. For three overs, not a single boundary was scored. Billings ended the drought with a boundary off Nathan Sowter. After 10 overs, Dubai Capitals were 61/3, needing a little over 11 runs per over.
Billings revives, Raza finishes
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In the 11th over, Billings accelerated and hit countryman Curran for two fours and a six. In the next over, he smashed Lawrence for a six and a four. He reached his half-century from 29 balls with a boundary. Raza broke the shackles as well with a six off Naseer in the 14th over. The partnership was broken by Matheesha Pathirana. Billings got out lbw for a 36-ball 57 featuring five fours and a couple of sixes. Raza carried the run chase on his back in the slog overs. Shanaka got bowled by Curran in the 18th over after scoring 10 runs from 11 balls. Pathirana finished well conceding eight runs in the penultimate over. In the final over, Naseer conceded seven runs off the first five deliveries. On the last ball, he went for a slower leg-cutter. Raza read it early and smashed it over long-off to lead Dubai Capitals to a five-wicket win. He remained unbeaten for 60 off 45 balls including five fours and two sixes.
Raza lauds young pacer
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βI said to myself, I don't think he will go short as I had hit one earlier out of the ground, I will hold my shape and try and hit it in the air and hit it as well as I can. [on Ali Naseer] He bowled fantastically well, these are the learnings we all have learned all through our careers. For a 19-year-old to bowl the final over, fantastic and he nearly won it for them. It could've gone either way but sorry we needed that win tonight,β Raza said in the post-match presentation.Β
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