Sharjah Warriors crashed to mighty table toppers MI Emirates by an eight-wicket margin in the 18th match of the DP World ILT20 season 2 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Emirates once again flaunted their bowling prowess to restrict the Warriors to 129. Lleft-arm spinners Waqar Salamkheil (3 for 18) and Akeal Hoesin (2 for 20) spun a web around Warriors’ batters to strangle their run flow. Experienced pacer Trent Boult chipped in with two wickets for 29.
Except for Johnson Charles, who hit 29 off 31 balls with three boundaries and a six, and Williams’ 35 off 25 balls with three boundaries and a six, none of the Warriors’ batters could rise to the challenge.
MI Emirates then exhibited their batting might as they breezed to the target in 11.1 overs.
UAE skipper and MI Emirates opener Muhammad Waseem played an exquisite knock filled with audacious strokes. He hit Chris Woakes for two consecutive boundaries in the first over and then went on to thrash Mark Watt for three sixes and two boundaries and take 27 runs off the over.
When Kusal Perera too hit two boundaries off Woakes, MI Emirates reached the 50-run mark in just three overs. The way the pair smashed the attack it looked like they were racing as to who would be the first to reach their half-century.
Left-arm pacer Muhammad Jawadullah got Waseem out caught at mid-wicket by Williams for 37. His knock of 13 balls had four boundaries and three sixes. He put on 80 runs in 5.3 overs. Perera too followed clean-bowled by James Fuller for 47 off 27 balls with five boundaries and two sixes. Skipper Nicholas Pooran (24n.o) and Andre Fletcher (22n.o) steered their team smoothly to the target with 53 balls to spare.
MI Emirates skipper Nicholas Pooran hailed his team stating: “It was just about picking ourselves up after our last game. The guys have been fantastic. Every bowler has been excellent. We played here last year and gained a lot of knowledge.
“Tonight, we thought spin would play a part. We thought Akeal’s natural variation would help. Same for Salamkheil as well. I mean whether we experiment or not, the goal is to win.”
Lewis Gregory, who captained Warriors, commented: “It was a tough night for us. Although we got off to a decent start, we lost wickets in clumps. We did not quite get going in the middle overs. But Sean played brilliantly for us. No one else got going.”
Brief scores:
MI Emirates beat Sharjah Warriors by 8 wickets.
Sharjah Warriors 129 in 20 overs (Johnson Charles 29, Sean Williams 35, Akeal Hosein 2 for 20, Trent Boult 2 for 29, Waqar Salamkheil 3 for 18)
MI Emirates 133 for 2 in 11.1 overs (Muhammad Waseem 37, Kusal Perera 47, Andre Fletcher 22n.o, Nicholas Pooran 24n.o)
Player of the Match: Waqar Salamkheil