MI Emirates vs Sharjah Warriorz Match Report
In a gripping encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on February 2, 2025, the Sharjah Warriorz clinched victory against their opposition MI Emirates by 8 wickets in the 28th match of this International League T20. The game began at 2:00 PM local time and such fine cricketing skills and strategic gameplay were displayed from both sides.
The MI Emirates, batted first, set a fighting total of 173 for the loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The innings began with a jolt with Andre Fletcher and Muhammad Waseem falling in quick succession, both at 44 runs. However, Kusal Perera steadied the ship with 31 runs, off 23 balls, including a couple of boundaries, before he was caught off Dilshan Madushanka.
Then it was Tom Banton, who went on to stay unbeaten on 84 from just 51 deliveries, fully backing 16 fours and 5 sixes, the way he showed intent. Nicholas Pooran lent very little support, scoring 8 off 9, before getting dismissed soon after. Romario Shepherd made a measured 2 off 3 balls, but he was removed in the last over. The extras contributed significantly to the score, coming out at 15 in total, with 8 further extras in the wider swings.
Leading the bowling for the Sharjah Warriorz, Tim Southee also was economical, going 4-0-22-1. Adam Milne struck crucially to claim the wicket of Pooran, while Dilshan Madushanka and Ashton Agar also kept the scoring in check at different phases during the innings.
Chasing 174, the openers of the Sharjah Warriorz gave a fine start. It was Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who excelled with an unbeaten 91 off 52 balls, partnered by 7 fours and 5 sixes giving a virtual lesson in T20 batting. Johnson Charles made a quick 14 before falling to Andre Fletcher’s catch from Fazalhaq Farooqi’s bowling. Jason Roy scored 22 before getting run out, but it was Matthew Wade who finished it off with 44 off 25 balls, which comprised 4 fours and 2 sixes. With their aggressive chase that finished in just 17.2 overs, only 2 wickets went down along the way.
Bowling from MI Emirates was spearheaded by Fazalhaq Farooqi, who took the only wicket to fall to a bowler. However, it was the batting prowess of Sharjah Warriorz that outshone anything else on the day, particularly the performances of Kohler-Cadmore and Wade.
Extras were few for Sharjah Warriorz to the tune of just 5 wides and 1 leg bye. The performance showed how well a team can chase down a score once the batting clicks; Sharjah Warriorz finished the one that looked like a challenging target with ease at the halfway point of the match.
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