International League T20: Mumbai Indians Emirates beat Sharjah Warriors on the basis of all-round play
Abu Dhabi. Mumbai Indians Emirates beat Sharjah Warriors by 49 runs in the International League T20 (ILT20) here on Saturday on the basis of the fast batting of West Indian trio of Nicholas Pooran, Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo along with Mohammad Wasim’s aggressive innings of 71 runs. Made a great start to their campaign in the tournament. Mumbai Indians Emirates restricted Sharjah Warriors to 155 for nine after posting a score of 204 for five in 20 overs. Wasim, a local player from Mumbai Indians Emirates, started the innings and hit five fours and as many sixes in 39 balls.
Puran scored 49 off 30 balls with the help of four sixes and two fours, while captain Pollard contributed 22 not out in 13 balls and Bravo contributed 20 not out in 10 balls. Bravo and Pollard shared an unbroken 41-run partnership for the sixth wicket. For the Sharjah team, Chris Woakes and Junaid Siddiqui took two each while Mohammad Nabi took one wicket. Nabi, however, spent 50 runs in four overs.Chasing the target, Sharjah’s team got the wickets of Evin Lewis and David Malan in consecutive balls in the second over itself by Fazal Haq Farooqui (2 for 27). Both players returned to the pavilion without opening an account.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz then teamed up with captain Moin Ali to take the team’s score past 50 but Bravo added to Sharjah’s woes by picking up the wickets of Moin in the eighth over and Gurbaz in the 10th over. Gurbaj scored 47 runs in 31 balls with the help of seven fours while Moin could only contribute 16 runs in 15 balls. Former South African player Imran Tahir then took three wickets to completely dominate the match for Mumbai Indians Emirates. He did not allow Tom Kohler Cadmore (10), Joe Denly (nine) and Mohammad Nabi (three) to spend much time at the crease. England all-rounder Woakes then scored 62 runs in 29 balls with the help of eight fours and two sixes but the margin of the team’s defeat could be reduced.
Also read: Zampa considering taking a decision on Test career after being dropped from India tour
After being invited to bat first, Wasim showed aggressive attitude by hitting two consecutive fours against Naveen-ul-Haq in the second over of the innings. During this, Woakes gave Sharjah the first success by showing Will Smeed the way to the pavilion in the third over. In the last over of the power play, Andre Fletcher (22) hit a hat-trick four against Junaid Siddiqui and then on Karthik Meiyappan, who came to bowl in the seventh over. Wasim hit two sixes. Woakes broke his 47-run partnership with Wasim for the second wicket in the ninth over by dismissing Fletcher to wicketkeeper Gurbaz. Mumbai Indians Emirates were 79 for two after 10 overs.
After this, Wasim and Pooran batted fast, sending the ball across the boundary line at frequent intervals. 18 runs were scored against Nabi in the 11th over and Moeen in the 13th over. Wasim hit a four and a six against Nabi in the 15th over but was dismissed on the third ball. Pooran also made his way to the pavilion after hitting a six against Junaid in the 17th over of the innings. Wasim and Puran shared an aggressive partnership of 79 runs for the third wicket. Bravo hit a hat-trick four against Naveen-ul-Haq in the 19th over, while Pollard hit a six and a four against Nabi. Bravo hit a six off the last ball of the innings to take the team’s score past 200.
