"VAN" (Sports Desk - 21.01.2023) :: Desert Vipers’ Alex Hales lit up the Zayed Cricket Stadium through a whirlwind knock of 110 runs off just 59 balls studded with seven boundaries and six sixes in the ninth match of the DP World International League T20 tournament at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday night. The 6ft 5inch tall England opener thus earned the honour of becoming the first century maker of this tournament backed by his skipper Colin Munro’s 56 runs off 46 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. Together they put on a 164 runs partnership off 95 balls for the second wicket to post a mammoth score of 219 for 4, the highest score of the tournament.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' poor batting show in this tournament continued as they got bowled out for 108 in 15.1 overs. Sheldon Cottrell led the destruction with a spell of 3 for 14 backed by Wanindu Hasaranga and Benny Howell with two wickets each. Desert Vipers recorded their third consecutive victory while Abu Dhabi crashed to their fourth successive defeat.
Abu Dhabi had won the toss and put Desert Vipers in to bat. UAE’s Rohan Mustafa, who opened with prolific scorer Alex Hales, lifted the first ball of the innings from Andre Russell to the long-on boundary. He then pulled Russell for another boundary off the fourth ball. He went for another big shot off the next ball too and landed up hitting high into the hands of Charith Asalanka at extra cover for 8.
Skipper Colin Munro, who hasn’t been among the runs in this tournament, began cautiously while Hales launched his first six by lifting Akeal Hosein over mid-off. Munro began to open up slowly, and in the fourth over he got two consecutive boundaries off Lahiru Kumara. Hales then hit Matiuallah Khan for two consecutive boundaries and a six to take 18 runs off that over. Desert Vipers raced to 54 for 1 in the first five overs.
Kumara bowled a tight sixth over forcing Munro and Hales to struggle for runs giving away just seven runs in the over. Hosein bowled a tighter seventh over yielding only three runs. Skipper Sunil Narine who introduced himself for the eight over also gave away only five runs, thus dipping the run rate. Desert Vipers posted 84 for 1 at the half way mark.
After that, Hales, who has scored 83n.o and 64 from the last two matches, accelerated the run flow and reached his half century in 30 balls, and Desert Vipers went past the 100-run mark in 11. 2 overs. Hales hit Dhananjaya de Silva for a six and a boundary off successive balls, and he further hit two consecutive sixes off Hosein to long-on and mid-wicket. Hales moved to his 90’s in the 15th over and the score went past the 150 run mark too.
The 16th over from Narine saw Hales and Munro record their 150 runs partnership and also Hales reach his century in 52 balls. Munro too reached his half century in 39 balls off a six to deep mid-wicket. Kumara broke the 164 runs partnership by having Munro caught at deep mid-wicket by Hosein for 56. Desert Vipers reached the 200 run mark in 18.2 overs through a Sherfane Rutherford boundary. Kumara struck again to remove Rutherford caught by De Silva at long-on for 23. Hales got run out off the last ball of the innings after taking Desert Vipers to a huge score while Tom Curran remained unbeaten on 16.
Responses
Leave your comment