The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
Till then, this is Dwaipayan Mukherjee, signing off with my co-commentator Pradeep Somasheka. Good night everyone!
That's it from this match, Capitals have made a great jump in the points table and there are some areas for the Vipers to address. We will do it all again tomorrow when table toppers MI Emirates take on Sharjah Warriors in Abu Dhabi.
Ben Dunk (Player of the match) : Super sub is a very interesting concept. It was great to come back to winning ways after our last game. You know, Sharjah was not great. Today it went well. I had my intent at all times, in earlier instances I was just finding the fielders far too often, that high-risk approach did not come off. But I certainly benefited from having Davey at the other end. We know that he has not been scoring many runs but he has been such a brilliant influence that things really get easier when you are batting with him. We should know what we need, gives clarity to all the players in the team. Jason Holder and Rovman Powell are experienced, always useful to have that pedigree. Last over, I was not nervous at the start but when it got down to 2 runs needed from 2 balls, and people around began talking about super overs, that's when I got a bit uncomfortable but glad to see us crossing the winning line.
David Warner (Dubai Capitals captain): Really important, quite clearly with the toss we wanted to chase, chasing suits us. Talking about Sharjah, it slows down and it's difficult to chase. We were calm and composed, guys knew how to get the job done. For me, it was simple, the first six is important, you take wickets or get hurt. Quick bowlers used the change ups well to built the pressure, took back to back wickets. From us, we need to nail that first 6, I still haven't myself done well, not worried about myself too much, but it's about partnerships, we've shown glimpses and there's room for improvement. We've shown support with Dunky, we know exactly how he plays, that's he's with us.
Colin Munro (Desert Vipers captain): My batting (laughs) to be honest, being the leader of the group, needed to step up. Hales told, it was tougher bat and they used the wicket to their advantage, some kept low. Adam Hose played a fantastic knock to get us there, would've taken at the start of the game. Batting first or second, we lost the game but credit to them. Ben Dunk turned back the clock and played well today. We would've taken at the start, after the powerplay we gave away too many, some shot selection, strike rotation, they were better in all those sorts. Probably, you can look at one ball and would've been tight, couple of twos or threes may be, you can find certain things, it's such a small margin. Little bit, when you look at it, someone would've hit the stumps other days, guys are putting in the hard work but didn't work out today.
Dubai Capitals (170/6) defeat Desert Vipers (169/6) by 4 wickets
Capitals should have got it done earlier. But it's the 2 points that matter. They have defeated the Desert Vipers for the first time in the short history of this tournament. This also makes it 7 out of 7 wins for the teams chasing at this venue for this season. That certainly shares how it becomes easier batting conditions but the Capitals were made to work very hard for it tonight. This win does wonderful things for Warner and his men. They were at the bottom of the points table and now they shoot themselves up to the 2nd spot.
It was the same old story when the opening stand did not last long with Gurbaz getting dismissed for his second successive low score and the dry run of form for their skipper, David Warner continued. But huge credit to how Ben Dunk unleashed a counter-attacking half-century knock which gave players like Raza, Powell and Holder more of an idea on how to go about batting in this surface.
Rovman Powell finally hit some good form amidst some impressive overs by the Desert Vipers bowlers who kept on troubling the Capitals batters throughout. Shaheen Afridi, Amir, Hasaranga had all gone through wicket-taking phases but were also taken for runs in different phases of the innings. It had all come down to the last ball. Jason Holder showed his batting dexterity on a day when his side needed his exploits.
Join us shortly for the post-match reactions
20
overs
170/6score
1
1
0
0
1
1
runs
Jason Holder*
23(12)
Rovman Powell
40(32)
Matheesha Pathirana
0/30
19.6 Matheesha Pathirana to Jason Holder, OH MY! Direct-hit missed again and Dubai Capitals trump Desert Vipers! Low full toss on the stumps, Holder takes a shimmy down the track, mistimes the flick and went straight to short mid-wicket, fielder had all the time in the world, has a shy at the stumps and misses. Capitals pick up two crucial points and stay in the hunt!
19.5 Matheesha Pathirana to Rovman Powell, OH! Yorker length outside the off-stump, Powell digs it out into the off-side. Pathirana dives to his left to stop it, they cross over in no time as Pathirana couldn't get up to have a shy at the stumps.
19.4 Matheesha Pathirana to Rovman Powell, OH! Excellent from Pathirana, it's another dot ball. Full and bowls it well outside the off-stump, goes just inside the tramline. Powell let's it go thinking it would be a wide.
19.3 Matheesha Pathirana to Rovman Powell, dips a low full toss on the leg-stump. Powell clipped it straight to short mid-wicket and it's a dot.
19.2 Matheesha Pathirana to Jason Holder, OH DEAR! Direct-hit was needed, Munro couldn't hit the bulls eye and they pick up a single. Holder had given up already. Low full toss on the stumps, Holder driven it straight to mid-off, takes off.
19.1 Matheesha Pathirana to Rovman Powell, yorker length on the fourth stump, Powell squeezes it to backward point for one.
In the 2021 T20 World Cup semifinal, Matthew Wade struck Shaheen Afridi for 3 sixes in the 19th over. It was this stadium where that theatrical took place. Both Powell and Holder have taken him to the cleaners in this penultimate over. 15 runs from that over.
19
overs
166/6score
4
1
4
4
1
1
runs
Rovman Powell*
38(28)
Jason Holder
21(10)
Shaheen Afridi
2/47
18.6 Shaheen Afridi to Rovman Powell, short delivery on the leg-stump, Powell swipes it past backward square-leg for another single.
18.5 Shaheen Afridi to Jason Holder, length delivery on the leg-stump, Holder flicked it past square-leg, gets just a single.
18.4 Shaheen Afridi to Jason Holder, FOUR MORE! Wheels are coming off now for Vipers. Back of a length on the off-stump, Holder swipes it crisply to deep square-leg, runs away to find the ropes. One hit away now the Capitals!
18.3 Shaheen Afridi to Jason Holder, TOP EDGED AND FOUR! That boundary narrows the run required against the balls. Short into the batter, Holder slightly late into the pull, top edged it down to fine-leg, runs away to find the ropes.
18.2 Shaheen Afridi to Rovman Powell, OH! Length delivery on the stumps, in the slot. Powell absolutely belted it down to long-on. Hasaranga stops it on the bounce for one.