In the 11th match of DP World ILT20 Season 2, Gulf Giants secured a tight 3-wicket victory against Dubai Capitals at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The win was largely due to Carlos Brathwaite’s stellar bowling performance, taking 3 wickets for 26 runs and restricting Dubai Capitals to a manageable 132/7 in their 20 overs. The match, witnessed by an enthusiastic weekend crowd, saw Dominic Drakes hit the winning runs with a boundary, sealing the victory with eight balls remaining.
Gulf Giants faced a challenging run chase, particularly against Dubai Capitals' left-arm spinner Roelof Van Der Merwe, who took crucial wickets, including those of James Vince (28), Carlos Brathwaite (1), and Chris Jordan (0). Despite Van Der Merwe’s impressive 3 for 27, the defending champions maintained their composure to clinch the win. Sikandar Raza shone for Dubai Capitals, scoring a quickfire 47 off 36 balls and taking two wickets, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Giants.
The Giants' chase had its moments of difficulty, especially when Jason Holder dismissed opener Jamie Smith early. However, Chris Lynn took the initiative, scoring a brisk 37 off 22 balls. Alongside him, James Vince reached a personal milestone, surpassing 10,000 runs in T20s. The pair put on a rapid 57-run partnership.
Even after losing Lynn and Vince, the Giants kept the momentum with Jordan Cox playing a crucial unbeaten knock of 38 off 30 balls. The game intensified as Van Der Merwe and Raza took quick wickets, but Drakes and Cox steadied the ship to secure a win for Gulf Giants.
Earlier, Gulf Giants’ bowlers showed formidable form, dismissing three Dubai Capitals batsmen within the first five overs. Rahmanullah Gurbaz fell early, followed by Ben Dunk and Sam Billings, the latter failing to replicate his previous match heroics.
The Capitals, at one point reeling at 40/4, found some stability with Raza and Rahul Chopra, who added 27 runs together. However, debutant Zuhaib Zubair made an impact with a brilliant catch to dismiss Chopra. Raza’s valiant effort with the bat, including the first six of the match, wasn’t enough as Brathwaite dismissed him in the 18th over, capping off a match-winning performance for Gulf Giants.
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