The Desert Vipers continued their winning run in the ILT20 Season 4 with an impressive eight-wicket victory against the Gulf Giants at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. It was their fifth consecutive win of the season and their sixth straight victory against the Giants.
Khuzaima Tanveer's iconic bowling in powerplay
Khuzaima Tanveer played a crucial role in the powerplay as he ripped through the Giants’ top order, picking up four wickets early and leaving the opposition struggling. He finished with remarkable figures of 4 for 10, the best by a UAE bowler in the tournament’s history, and became the first to take four wickets in the powerplay.
Because of Tanveer’s early blows, the Gulf Giants were unable to shift the momentum of the game and were limited to 157 for 7 in their 20 overs. In reply, Sam Curran and Max Holden made the chase look easy with an unbeaten partnership of 123 runs.
Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz failed tom perform
The Vipers lost Fakhar Zaman early for 14 in the second over, dismissed by a fine delivery from Chris Wood. Soon after, Hasan Nawaz was run out, but that was the last moment of worry for the Vipers. Holden played with confidence, finding boundaries and keeping the scoreboard moving as the team reached 53 for 2 at the end of the powerplay.
Curran took control after coming in, especially in the 11th over when he smashed 19 runs off Dawson, including three sixes. He continued his attacking approach against Kyle Mayers and brought up his half-century in just 32 balls. Holden soon followed with his own fifty, reaching the milestone in 31 balls.
The pair kept the pressure on the bowlers, mixing big shots with quick singles. The Gulf Giants’ bowlers had no answers as Curran and Holden finished the chase in just 16.5 overs.
Earlier, Tanveer had set the tone with two wickets in his second over, removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and James Vince in quick succession. He then dismissed Pathum Nissanka and Gerhard Erasmus to leave the Giants in deep trouble at 30 for 4 inside the powerplay.
Kyle Mayers tried to rebuild with a quick 30, but Noor Ahmad ended his stay. Asif Khan held one end, while wickets continued to fall at the other. A late burst from Dawson, who scored an unbeaten 38 off 14 balls, helped the Giants push their total to 157, but it was never enough against a dominant Vipers side.