Gulf Giants secured a top two finish and a spot in Qualifier One of the International League T20 (ILT20) as a result of their 25-run win over Desert Vipers, who would rue their fielding effort in the middle.
Shimron Hetmyer (54 off 35) and James Vince (39 off 23) were the top scorers for Giants and both were dropped once.
Vince along with Tom Banton added quick 46 runs for the first wicket and that momentum was carried on later in the innings by Hetmyer, who hit two fours and four sixes.
Vipers’ chase got off to an explosive start, with Rohan Mustafa and Alex Hales adding 57 runs off only 32 balls but both fell with the score still reading 57 and that sort of knocked the wind out of the side.
Giants kept striking with all six of their bowlers picking a wicket each and Tom Curran’s top score of 42* off 33 proved too little too late.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs Sharjah Warriors
A disastrous season for Knight Riders finished on a sweet note as they capped a run of nine winless matches with a five-wicket victory.
For Warriors, losing a crucial match keeps them waiting for qualification and their last game against Gulf Giants becomes all the more crucial.
On a slow two-paced track, Knight Riders restricted Warriors to 130-9 despite a steady 50-run stand between Evin Lewis (23) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (46 off 40) looked to have set them up for many more.
From 71-1, Warriors slipped to 110-9 as the middle and lower middle order crumbled.
Knight Riders chased the total down with as many as 3.2 overs to spare as Joe Clarke struck 54 off 32 at the top of the order.
Muhammad Jawadullah picked up 3-24, but the total was never enough to start with. (cricbuzz)
