MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals: Match Report
After a nerve-racking match , Dubai Capitals won over MI Emirates by 1 run in ILT20. Batting first, Dubai Capitals managed to post a total of 133/8 in their 20 overs. It was a rocky start for the Dubai Capitals as they kept falling at regular intervals with Shai Hope (9) being dismissed by Fazalhaq Farooqi in the 4th over, caught by Tom Banton. Further skyfalls saw A. Rossington (9) getting out to Alzarri Joseph, and Brandon McMullen (5) getting back to the pavilion, courtesy of Farooqi and the Dubai Capitals were languishing at 34/3 on the 7th over.
Their captain Sikandar Raza made little impression with his score of 10 when Zahoor Khan dismissed him. Rovman Powell at 54/3 tried his best to control the innings but was finished by Farooqi with the team at 107/4 by the 16th over. Just as victory looked on the rim for Dubai Capitals, power-hitter Shanaka (13) and Gulbadin Naib (2) fell victims, and they were down at 129/7 on the 19th over.
The last few overs did not bring up much for the Dubai Capitals as Olly Stone (0) and Obed McCoy (0) were dismissed, but Farhan Khan (2) and McCoy (0) sat on stubbornly. Dubai Capitals closed at 133/8; the pick of the bowlers was Farooqi, with a phenomenal 4/16. Joseph (1/29) and Khan (1/21) too contributed wonderfully.
In reply, MI Emirates started from a rocky point; Muhammad Waseem (0) was dismissed by Olly Stone. Andre Fletcher (0) fell to Rovman Powell shortly afterwards. The chase continued to falter; Kusal Perera (12) and Tom Banton (7) made only minimal contributions, leaving 23/4 by the end of the 5th over.
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It was helped by the middle-order batsmen, even though the start was not so encouraging. Nicholas Pooran`s crucial (61) and Akeal Hosein (30) tried to keep the ball rolling, but Gulbadin Naib dismissed Pooran and Brandon McMullen sent back Hosein, placing MI Emirates in a troublesome 120/6 at the end of the 18th over.
In the dying moments, Kieron Pollard (16*) and Alzarri Joseph tried to bring MI Emirates back into contention, but by that time, it looked like the required run rate had gone too high. Pollard did his best, but it was not good enough for MI Emirates, who fell just one run short at 132/7. Pick of the bowlers for Dubai Capitals was Gulbadin Naib, with figures of 3 for 20 while Olly Stone and Obed McCoy gave a good account of themselves at 1 for 14 and 1 for 29, respectively.
Thus, the match came down to a nail-biting last over as MI Emirates required 13 runs to win. The pressure was intense as every bowler from Dubai Capitals stood up to the task, thus achieving this breathtaking victory by a very narrow margin of one run. With both teams giving it their all, it proved to be a nail-biting finish, as the Dubai Capitals gallantly edged out MI Emirates in one of the closest matches of the ILT20 season
