W.I. pair Pooran and Fletcher lead MI Emirates to the title
– Mumbai Indians Emirates were crowned champions of the ILT20 after the West Indies pair of Nicholas Pooran and Andre Fletcher hit half-centuries to set them up for a 45-run win against Dubai Capitals yesterday in the United Arab Emirates.
Pooran, the MI Emirates captain, slammed two fours and six sixes in the top score of 57 from 27 balls to earn the Player-of-theMatch award, and powered his side to 208 for three after they were put into bat in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
He shared 56 for third wicket with Fletcher, whose 53 off 37 balls included three fours and four sixes, and he dominated an unbroken fourth wicket stand of exactly 50 with retired West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard that pushed MI Emirates to the highest total in the tournament this year.
Chasing on a slow pitch was going to be difficult for the Capitals, and they laboured to 47 for two at the end of the Power Play, briefly threatened when their captain Sam Billings smashed the top score of 40 from 29 balls, and they failed to take advantage of MI Emirates spilling no less than six catches.
They were no significant partnerships for the Capitals, and
New Zealand left-arm pacer Trent Boult and Sri Lankan legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth snared two wickets apiece, and they were restricted to 163 for seven.
“I couldn’t ask for anything else from this team,” Pooran said during a post-play TV interview. “This is exactly what we wanted. We planned how we wanted to go about this game, and it’s nice to see the guys go out there and execute.
“Winning this trophy, the Mumbai Indians franchise have the most trophies in this format, so it is a huge accomplishment, and I am really happy to be a part of the franchise and winning.”
He added: “Everyone had the same agenda. Everyone had the same goal. Every time we came on to the park. Every time we went to practice. Everyone was just trying to get better. When we hit the field, it was just automatic. I just felt everyone wanted to contribute and win this here.
“It was good to have (fellow Trinidadians) [Dwayne] Bravo and [Kieron] Pollard here. They have won a lot of T20 tournaments and to have that experience and that guide in big moments like this, you need people who have been here and understand how to win.”
Capitals got off to the worst possible start when West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein
trapped Leus du Plooy lbw for a duck with the second ball of the chase.
Tom Abell came to the crease and tried to find the right tempo with Tom Banton before he was caught at long-off by Pollard off UAE left-arm pacer Muhammad Rohid.
The Capitals kept losing the wickets at regular intervals, and they slumped to 113 for five in the 14th over after Viyaskanth got Banton stumped by Pooran for 35 and tournament Most Valuable Player Sikandar Raza caught at deep mid-wicket, and tournament’s leading bowler
Waqar Salamkheil had Billings also stumped by Pooran.
Boult got West Indies Twenty20 International captain Rovman Powell caught in the deep for eight in the 17th over, and former West Indies all-formats captain Jason Holder dazzled with a came0 24 before the New Zealander bowled him in the penultimate over with no hope of a comeback.
Earlier, MI Emirates got off to a sizzling start with hometown boy Muhammad Waseem and Sri Lankan Kusal Perera putting on 72 in the Power Play.
Both batsmen dealt in boundaries,
and singles were a rare commodity, as they tore into the Capitals attack and spared no bowler in a first wicket stand of 77 that provided the right platform for Pooran and Fletcher.
Waseem made 43 before Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner got him caught by Powell at mid-off in the seventh over, and Perera made 38 before Raza got him caught inside the deep midwicket boundary in the 12th over.
Pooran came out and took charge, and Fletcher shifted into high gear after starting slowly, and MI Emirates galloped to the finish.