MI Emirates post huge 157-run win
Waseem, Pollard and Fletcher all score big for Desert Vipers
Whirlwind half centuries from Muhammad Waseem, Kieron Pollard and Andre Fletcher helped MI Emirates record a whopping 241 for three in 20 overs. MI Emirates’s left-arm medium pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi, with a deadly three-wicket spell, backed by Zahoor Khan and Imran Tahir with two wickets each, then bowled out Desert Vipers for a paltry 84 runs in 12.1 overs for a massive 157 runs win in the 21st match of the DP World ILT20 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium last night.
UAE’s Waseem set the tempo for this superlative show from MI Emirates scoring a spectacular 86 runs off 44 balls with 11 boundaries and four sixes. Fletcher, who played second fiddle, scored 50 off 39 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. Together they put on an opening partnership of 141 runs in 12.3 overs. After this show from the openers, skipper Kieron Pollard hit a 19-ball unbeaten half century studded with four boundaries and four sixes. He added 89 runs in just 5.2 overs along with Dan Mousley, who cracked an unbeaten 31 off 17 balls with three fours and two sixes.
MI Emirates thus not only recorded the highest score of the tournament but also the biggest victory of the tournament. Incidentally, this is also the second highest score in a T20 league at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium after Balkh Legends had piled up 244 for 6 in 20 overs against Kabul Zwanan in the 2018 Afghanistan Premier League.
Aggressive approach
Batting first, MI Emirates opener Andre Fletcher began to play his shots right away hitting both the opening bowlers Luke Wood and left-arm spinner Mark Watt for boundaries.
He with Mohammad Waseem put on the 50-run partnership in 4.5 overs. and the powerplay yielded 68 runs.
Waseem was in a league of his own as he raced to his 50 in 24 balls. He was joined by skipper Kieron Pollard. The duo took the score past 150 in the 15th over before Waseem fell at 86.
Twenty-one-year old England all-rounder Dan Mousley came up with a cameo as he took 22 runs off the 18th over. MI Emirates’ reached 200 when Pollard hit a towering six off Curran.
Both put on a 50-run stand in just 3.4 overs. The run flow continued as Pollard reached his half century lifting the last ball of the innings from Pathirana for a six over long off. The pair put on 89 runs in just 5.2 overs for the highest score of the tournament.
Desert Vipers’ chase began on a bad note losing opener Rohan Mustafa early. Opener Alex Hales too followed edging Trent Boult to wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker for 4 to the first ball of the third over. Sam Billings joined his skipper Colin Munro but at the score on 33, Farooqi struck again in the fourth over to force Munro edge to Tucker for 10. Four runs later, UAE’s Zahoor Khan forced Billings to play on to his wicket for 7 in the fifth over. With the fourth ball of the same over, he forced Sherfane Rutheford to hit straight to Najibullah at mid-wicket for 4. With half the side back in the dug-out for 41, MI Emirates braced themselves for a big win.