Report By: Sadia Abbasi
ABU DHABI: UAE’s Muhammad Waseem, displaying his wide repertoire of aggressive strokes, produced a spectacular knock of 71 runs and steered MI Emirates to a 49 runs win over Sharjah Warriors in the second match of the DP World ILT20 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Saturday night. He was backed by Nicholas Pooran’s 49 to help MI Emirates post a whopping total of 204 for 5 in 20 overs.
Sharjah Warriors wilted under the pressure of MI Emirates’ mammoth score. They had won the toss and elected to bowl. Waseem, opening with England’s Will Smeed, hit back to back boundaries off
Another hard hitter Pooran joined Waseem and unleashed his six hitting skills. In the last five overs, MI Emirates scored 53 runs with Pooran on 49 pulling Siddiqui into the hands of Denly at deep mid wicket. Siddiqui also picked the wicket of Najibullah Zadran. Pollard (22) and Dwayne Bravo (21) put on an unbeaten 41 runs partnership.
Chasing a run rate of 10.20, Sharjah opener Evin Lewis got out for a duck playing Fazalhaq Farooqi on to his wicket. One drop Dawid Malan too fell trapped leg before to the first ball from Farooqi forcing skipper Moeen Ali to face the fifth ball of the second over and avoid a hat trick.
Then opener Gurbaz and Ali began the damage repair. Gurbaz did majority of the scoring hitting Trent Boult for two successive boundaries and a six in the sixth over. Ali, after adding 49 runs for the third wicket, fell to Bravo hitting into the hands of Fletcher at long on. Gurbaz too followed, bowled by Bravo for 43 off 31 balls with seven boundaries.
Chris Woakes hit a fighting 62 off 29 balls with nine boundaries and two sixes to delay MI Emirates’ victory.
Speaking about his performance, MI Emirates’ leg spinner Imran Tahir said, “I work very hard. If I do my homework then I am not worried about anything. I give everything I have every time I represent a team.
Brief match summery is Warriors by 49 runs. MI Emirates 204 for 5 in 20 overs (Muhammad Waseem 71, Andre Fletcher 22, Nicholas Pooran 49, Kieron Pollard 22n.o, Dwyane Bravo 21n.o, Chris Woakes 2 for 23, Junaid Siddiqui 2 for 41) Sharjah Warriors 155 for 8 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 43, Chris Woakes 62, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2 for 27, Imran Tahir 3 for 26, Dwayne Bravo 2 for 13). Player of Match was Muhammad Waseem and he awarded $1500.
