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18:56 PM IST: That is all we have in our live coverage of this game. Samanvaya Sharma and Karthik Raj are taking your leave now, so don't go anywhere. The Ind vs. Eng 2nd T20I is about to start, so switch the tabs and enjoy that as well. Till then, goodbye!
Khuzaima Bin Tanvir (Player of the Match): "There was no pressure. I enjoyed the match. The captain gave me a plan that I have to hit the deck hard. I executed it and that was key. In the death overs, there was some reverse swing, so I was just using it."
Sam Curran (Captain Desert Vipers): "I'm delighted with the win. Our bowling performance was outstanding throughout the game. The UAE star's debut was particularly impressive. Credit to Jason Roy, who batted exceptionally well for the opposing team. However, our bowlers showed great discipline and composure, especially towards the end. It's been a real team effort, with different players stepping up at crucial times. Alex Hales is in great form with the bat, and overall, we're in a strong position."
Tim Southee (Sharjah Warriors, Losing Captain): "We got ourselves in a nice position during the mid-way through the innings but lost a lot of wickets in the end and didn't get any momentum at all. We have shown glimpses but haven't strung together performances. The equation is pretty simple from here on. It was tough in the first few overs, the wides didn't help. Needed to keep taking wickets but they came up with a match-winning partnership. It was nice. Jason Roy came in on a nice wicket in the last game and did well. It will be good for the other guys to chip in as well"
Time for the Post-match Presentation!
18:41 PM IST|| Match Summary: Desert Vipers won by 8 wickets.
Alex Hales 77*(42) | Jason Roy 55(38) Khuzaima Tanveer 4/22 | Adam Milne 2/17
Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to bowl first, a decision that proved to be a strategic masterstroke. The Sharjah Warriors, despite having a strong batting lineup, were restricted to a modest total of 151 runs on a ground known for its short boundaries.
The Warriors' innings were marked by a lack of significant partnerships, with only Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Jason Roy making notable contributions. The Desert Vipers' bowlers, however, were disciplined and effective in their execution, never allowing the Warriors' batsmen to gain momentum.
In response, the Desert Vipers' openers, Alex Hales and Fakhar Zaman, struggledto find their rhythm against the swinging deliveries of Tim Southee and Adam Milne. Hales, in particular, took 10 deliveries to get off the mark but eventually found his footing with a stunning boundary.
However, Milne's double strike in the 4th over removed Zaman and Dan Lawrence, leaving the Vipers at 45/2 at the end of the powerplay. This early setback could have derailed the Vipers' chase, but the England duo of Sam Curran and Hales took charge, forming a 50-run partnership in the 10th over.
Hales brought up his attacking 50 in style, hitting three sixes in the 13th over, which shifted the momentum in the Vipers' favor. The Curran-Hales partnership grew to 122 runs, making the chase one-sided and taking the Vipers to the brink of victory.
Desert Vipers eventually won the match in 16 overs, with Hales and Curran remaining unbeaten. This victory marked the Vipers' qualification for the playoffs, making them the first team to do so. Adam Milne was the only impressive bowler for Sharjah Warriors, taking two wickets, but it was not enough to prevent a convincing defeat.
14.5 Tim Southee to Alex Hales, GAME, SET AND MATCH! Length delivery angling in, Hales slogs it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. With this, the Vipers seal a dominant eight-wicket win with 31 balls to spare!
14.4 Tim Southee to Alex Hales, FOUR! Short of a length outside-off, Hales whacks it over mid-off for a boundary. With this stroke, Hales gets to 1000 ILT20 runs!
14.3 Tim Southee to Sam Curran, length delivery outside-off, Curran steers it to third for a single.
14.2 Tim Southee to Sam Curran, BACK-TO-BACK FOURS! Short of a length and angling away, Curran muscles it to the left of mid-off for a boundary. This brings up Curran's second fifty in the ILT20!
14.1 Tim Southee to Sam Curran, FOUR! Short delivery, Curran pulls it over mid-wicket for a boundary. The Vipers' skipper moves onto 49* with this stroke!
Tim Southee [2.0-0-16-0] is back into the attack
Now Sam Curran has joined the party and is hitting some mind-boggling sixes over the rooftop. Now this game is going to end much sooner than we had thought of. Desert Vipers is very close to their playoff qualification.
14
overs
133/2score
6
4
1
1
6
1
runs
Sam Curran*
45(31)
Alex Hales
67(40)
Adam Zampa
0/31
13.6 Adam Zampa to Sam Curran, length delivery on leg stump, Curran clips it to deep mid-wicket for a single.
13.5 Adam Zampa to Sam Curran, STAND AND DELIVER! Googly on a length bowled wide of off, Curran gets into a good position and hammers it over long-on for a maximum.
13.4 Adam Zampa to Alex Hales, short-ish outside-off, Hales guides it to deep backward point for a single.
13.3 Adam Zampa to Sam Curran, IN THE AIR AND SAFE! Length delivery, Curran attempts to go big again but he miscues the shot well in front of long-on. Single taken.
13.2 Adam Zampa to Sam Curran, FOUR! Short delivery with width, Curran slaps it to the right of long-off for a boundary. Sharjah Warriorz are leaking runs here.
13.1 Adam Zampa to Sam Curran, RAINING SIXES AT SHARJAH! Tossed up on a full length, Curran dances down the track and swings it cleanly over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. No-look shot as well to boot!
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Sam Curran
*
Adam Zampa
Video
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Sharjah Cricket Stadium
