Riding on David Warner’s 57-ball 93, Capitals defeated Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) by 26 runs to book a berth in the playoffs at the DP World ILT20 with a game to spare on Sunday.
After posting a huge total of 217/4, Capitals thwarted ADKR to 191/5 to notch up the fifth win in the tournament.
Chasing, Andries Goud refused to give up despite the odds as he knew the stakes were high. A win would keep their playoff hopes alive.
He started off on a positive note and showed that there was still a lot to play for despite the huge target. Gous and Kyle Mayers added 96 runs for the first wicket in 10.3 overs to remain in the hunt.
Gulbadin uprooted the stumps of Mayers to keep Capitals in the game, who seemed to be losing ground. Gous added 55 runs for the second wicket with Joe Clarke to keep the chase alive.
But Clarke consumed too many deliveries. He scored a sedated 22-ball 29 before being retired out. When Clarke left the pitch, ADKR needed 67 off24 balls, which put immense pressure on Gous and Andre Russell as they threw their wickets while playing reckless shots in a bid to spur the run rate.
Both the players were dismissed in quick-successions as ADKR were reduced to 153/5 from 150/1. Chameera picked up two wickets to get rid of Gous and Russell in the same over.
Earlier, David Warner of Australia smacked a fascinating 93 to herald his arrival in style at the DP World ILT20. He lit up a jam-packed Dubai International Stadium with a blitzkrieg knock.
The Australian batsman left the crowd on the edge of their seats as Dubai Stadium reverberated with the echo of Warner, Warner.
Capitals needed to win their two remaining matches to keep qualify for the playoffs. With Warner joining the squad, their morale was sky-rocketed.
He lived up to his billing and straight away got down to the work he came for. Warner and Shai Hope gave a fiery start to the Capitals.
They shared an 82-run partnership for the first to lay down a strong foundation for a big total. Both the batsmen played sensibly and kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles, hitting occasional boundaries.
They assimilated 45 runs for the Capitals in the powerplay without losing any wickets. They kept the ADKR bowlers at bay with ease.
Warner shifted his gears in the 8th over as collected 18 runs off it, hitting Motie for four boundaries. Seeing his partner, Hope also got into the act as and smashed two consecutive sixes in the next over off Chase.
But the West Indian bowler had the last laugh as he rattled the stumps of Hope to give ADKR the first breakthrough, bringing some respite to their camp.
Oblivious of the storm which was about to blow the ADKR’s bowlers away, they erupted in joy on the dismissal of Hope, who scored 36 off 24 balls.
Warner was joined by Gulbadin Naib and the duo added another 80 runs for the second wicket to frustrate the ADKR bowlers with a gritty stand.
Gulbadin started slowly and flexed his muscles in 11th over. After that, there was no looking back for either of them. Meanwhile, Warner raced to his fifty off 33 deliveries.
Gulbadin went on to score 25-ball 47. He took 17 runs off Holder before being dismissed by Sunil Narine. But the damage had been done as Capitals had already reached 162/2 in 16 overs. But the worst was yet to come in the form of Dasun Shanaka.
The Sri Lankan played a quick-fire cameo of 12-ball 34 as he treated all the bowlers alike. He did not show any respect for any of them.
Shanaka got off the mark with a six off Ibrar Ahmed, who uprooted the stumps of Rovman Powell on the previous delivery. This was the must-win game for ADKR and Capitals could qualify straight away with a win.
Warner missed his century by a whisker but remained unbeaten as Capitals piled up a huge score of 217/4. Warner’s innings was studded with 12 fours and one six while Shanaka hit four fours and two sixes.
Warriorz defeated MIE
Sharjah Warriorz completed a sensational comeback in the tournament as they became the third team to seal a spot in the playoffs. Buoyed by a stellar knock from Tom Kohler-Cadmore, the Warriorz defeated the MI Emirates by eight wickets in a must-win match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The result also knocks the Gulf Giants out of the race for a playoff berth.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore stood out with 91 runs in 52 balls in an endeavour that saw seven fours and five sixes. Matthew Wade, playing his first game of the season, also made his presence felt with a breezy knock of 44 runs in 25 balls. The victory not only also placed Sharjah Warriorz into the playoffs for the first time in the history of the competition but also marked the team’s first win against the MI Emirates across three seasons.
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