Desert Vipers defeated Sharjah Warriors by 22 runs in the 23rd match of the DP World ILT20 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, led by their ace leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (3 for 13) and left-arm medium pacer Luke Wood (3 for 20).
This victory qualified them for the playoffs and almost assured them a top-two finish.
Desert Vipers made an impressive comeback after losing their previous match to MI Emirates by 157 runs. They eventually won the top spot in the points table with 12 points from eight matches. They are trailed in second place by Gulf Giants, who have 10 points from seven matches. Sharjah Warriors remain in fourth place with seven points from eight games, one point ahead of Dubai Capitals, who also have seven points from eight games. MI Emirates is third in the table with nine points from seven games.
Despite opener Rohan Mustafa's 31-run knock and Benny Howell's unbeaten 34, Desert Vipers were restricted to 148 for 6 in 20 overs, while Sharjah Warriors were restricted to 126 for 8 in 20 overs.
The Desert Vipers won the toss and chose to bat. Alex Hales, their prolific scorer and opener, fell to the third ball of the fourth over, missing a pull and being bowled for four by UAE's left-arm medium pacer Muhammad Jawadullah. In the fifth over, opener Rohan Mustafa hit Mohammad Nabi for two consecutive boundaries. Desert Vipers had scored 37 for 1 on the powerplay. Skipper Colin Munro went on to hit Nabi for a six but was caught leg before for 11 two balls later.
Mustafa, who was striking well, was bowled for 31 by left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad in the ninth over. He was out to Ahmad's googly after hitting five boundaries in his 33-ball innings. Desert Vipers were 59 for 3 at the halfway point. Wanindu Hasaranga went for a big shot in the 11th over and was caught by Paul Walter off Noor Ahmad for 6.
Sherfane Rutherford and Sam Billings worked hard to speed up the run flow. They increased the score to 80 when Rutherford was run out for 14 in the 14th over on a direct hit by Jawadullah while attempting a risky single. Desert Vipers scored 100 runs in 15.1 overs. Billings and Benny Howell added 52 runs for the sixth wicket before Jawadullah bowled Billings clean with a yorker for 27. As a result, the Desert Vipers did not reach 150 runs, but they did score 50 runs in the last five overs. Howell was unbeaten after 34 balls and four boundaries.
Sharjah Warriors began aggressively in pursuit of a manageable target of 149 runs from 120 balls, with opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore scoring 16 runs off the first over from Sheldon Cottrell, which included two consecutive boundaries and a six. Gus Atkinson struck with the third ball of the second over, catching opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz at deep square leg for one.
With the first ball of the third over, Luke Wood removed the dangerous Kohler-Cadmore, forcing him to top edge to Hales at mid-off for 15. Despite the Desert Vipers' tight bowling, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Hose kept the scoreboard moving. Stoinis was out for 17 with the score on 50 in 8.1 overs. He attempted a sweep off Hasaranga but failed to deliver and was adjudged leg before for 17. Joe Denly joined Hose but was run out due to the brilliance of the wicketkeeper.
Hasaranga clean bowled Hose with a googly with half the team back in the dugout. Hose was settling in and had already scored 17 runs. Sharjah Warriors were further jeopardised when Hasaranga clean bowled Nabi with another googly. This was Hasaranga's third wicket, and Sharjah Warriors appeared to seize control of the match.
Paul Walter and Noor Ahmad pushed the score past 100, but with 48 runs needed in the final 24 balls, Walter drove Wood straight into the hands of substitute Lyth at mid-off for 27. Off Atkinson's 17th over, Hales dropped Ahmad twice at mid-off. Wood dismissed Ahmad for 23 runs, effectively ending Sharjah Warriors' challenge.
Matthew Maynard, batting coach for the Sharjah Warriors, commented on their performance "We didn't take enough strong singles shots. We didn't take an aggressive stance. We didn't make good use of our feet against the spinners. That will be something we work on before the next game. We want to win two games and play with the same intensity as in our previous games."
In the meantime, Desert Vipers head coach James Foster stated, "The Desert Vipers had a fantastic victory. We thought 140 would be a good total to defend, so we were pleased with 148 on a difficult wicket. Our bowlers, in my opinion, did not allow them to play their shots. I am very pleased with the team's fight and character today."
Brief scores: Desert Vipers 148 for 6 in 5 in 20 overs (Rohan Mustafa 31, Sam Billings 27, Benny Howell 34n.o, Muhammad Jawadullah 2 for 36, Noor Ahmad 2 for 27); Sharjah Warriors 126 for 8 in 20 overs (Paul Walter 27, Noor Ahmad 23, Luke Wood 3 for 20, Wanindu Hasaranga 3 for 13)