In a low-scoring encounter at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Dubai Capitals beat table-toppers Desert Vipers by nine wickets to book their spot in Qualifier 1. Afghanistan leg-spinner Qais Ahmad wreaked havoc in the middle overs with a four-wicket havoc and helped Capitals bowl out Vipers for 137. Then Shai Hope and Gulbadin Naib scored fifties to chase down the target with 17 balls to spare.
Capitals skipper Sam Billings won the toss and opted to bowl first. Azam Khan could not justify the promotion and was caught at first slip by Naib off Obed McCoy's bowling. McCoy in his second over dismissed Alex Hales with a slower one. Skipper Sam Curran tried to infuse some life into the game alongside Dan Lawrence. Then Ahmad was introduced into the attack and he got rid of Curran with a googly. Curran scored 28 runs from 20 balls. Lawrence hit a couple of more sixes before falling to Qais. He scored 44 runs from 31 deliveries.
Skipper Sikandar In the 14th over, Qais struck twice to dismiss Adam Hose and Michael Jones. Ali Naseer could not do much damage and was dismissed for a single-digit score by Dushmantha Chameera. In the slog overs, just one six was hit. McCoy and Farhan Khan got one wicket each to bowl out Vipers for 137 with two balls left in the innings.
Hope, Naib dominate run chase
Vipers' run chase got off to an ideal start with Adam Rossington and Hope firing from both ends. David Payne got the breakthrough in the fifth over with Rossington's wcket. He scored 27 runs from 18 balls. After powerplay overs, Capitals had 50 runs on the board. Naib did not take much time to accelerate as Hope looked to rotate strike. In the 12th over, Hope's catch was dropped by Jones. Naib reached his fifty with a six from 29 balls. In the 17th over, Hope reached his fifty from 50 deliveries. The Caribbean batter scored the winning runs as Capitals finished league stage as second-placed team.
What Qais said after the match
"Thanks to my mom, dad, my big brother and my wife, my all family, they always supporting me, so thank you very much. When you play with legend cricketers like Sam Billings, they always supporting me, he kept saying: you are our main bowler and will take wickets. Wickets is very good for spin, I try to turn the ball. I'm happy for these four wickets. Of course I enjoyed that wicket, Sam Curran is a big wicket," 'Player of the match' Ahmad said in the post-match presentation.
Desert Vipers and Dubai Capitals will lock horn on February 5 in Qualifier 1.