Sports Bulletin Report
Dubai (UAE): South Africa’s wicketkeeper batter, Andries Gous played an unbeaten 95 runs innings to lead Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to a sensational win against Desert Vipers in the third match of the DP World ILT20 season 2 at the Dubai International Stadium.
Gous’ knock off 50 balls studded with five boundaries and seven sixes enthralled the large Sunday crowd and his team owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. His 85 runs partnership in 47 balls for the second wicket along with Michael-Kyle Pepper (36), and his 71 runs stand in 43 balls for the fourth wicket with Laurie Evans (21) ensured his team an easy six-wicket win with 14 balls to spare.
Earlier, Knight Riders restricted Desert Vipers to a gettable 164 for 8 through some tight bowling led by their skipper Sunil Narine (2 for 23) and Ali Khan’s fine death-over spell bagging 3 for 29. Adam Hose top scored with 45 runs off 30 balls after his skipper Colin Munro hit a quick 22 in 12 balls. Vipers may not have crossed the 150 mark but for Wanindu Hasaranga (24) and Hose’s 57 runs partnership off 40 balls for the fourth wicket.
Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine won the toss and elected to bowl. Since his team had finished at the bottom of the points table in the first edition, he hoped that the new faces in his team would bring them luck this time. Colin Munro, skipper of Vipers that finished as runners-up last season hoped that even if the toss was lost, it was important to bat well and adapt accordingly. He then opened the innings along with Alex Hales.
Munro even gave a positive start by hitting David Willey for a boundary in the first over and a six and a boundary off Imad Wasim in the second over. Hales began to open up with two consecutive boundaries off Willey but fell to the third ball of the third over, caught by Wasim at covers for 11.
Joshua Little took the big wicket of Munro, who pulled him straight into the hands of Laurie Evans for 22. One-drop batter Daniel Lawrence, who attempted a slog sweep, landed up hitting Wasim high to wicketkeeper Andries Gous for 19. All eyes turned towards Sri Lanka’s Hasaranga, who joined Hose. He went on to slog sweep Wasim for a six in the 10thover. At the half way stage, Vipers were nine short of the 100-run mark.
When runs were hard to get, Hose hit Little for a six and two consecutive boundaries in the 12th over. In the 14thover, Ali Khan struck to remove Hose for 45, caught behind while attempting a reverse hit. Hose had put on 57 runs off 40 balls for the fourth wicket with Hasaranga. Narine struck in the 15th over removing Hasaranga caught at deep-midwicket by Willey for 24 and Sherfane Rutherford caught and bowled for a duck.
With only five overs to go, Vipers were struggling at 127 for 6. Ali Khan bowled another brilliant over giving away just four runs. Bas de Leede and Rohan Mustafa steered the score past the 150-run mark before de Leede fell to the accurate Ali Khan for 14. Ali Khan also clean bowled Mohammad Amir for 4 for his third wicket. In the end, Mustafa remained unbeaten with a run-a-ball 13.
Knight Riders began their chase by losing UAE’s young opener Alishan Sharafu who pulled Sheldon Cottrell and top edged to Tymal Mills at backward point for 1. One-drop Pepper, who joined opener Gous, began by hitting Mohammad Amir for two consecutive boundaries. Gous then went on to hit Cottrell for two sixes in the fourth over. Twenty runs were scored off that Cottrell’s over.
Pepper strengthened Knight Riders’ chase hitting De Leede for three consecutive boundaries in the eighth over and taking 22 runs off the over. Mills provided the breakthrough in the 10th over by having Pepper caught by Munro at extra cover for 36. Pepper and Gous had put on 85 runs in 47 balls for the second wicket.
With ten overs to go, Knight Riders needed 74 runs. Sam Hains lasted only five balls before getting clean bowled to Lawrence for 1. Gous reached his half century in 28 balls lifting Mustafa for a six over deep mid-wicket. He went on to hit Hasaranga for two consecutive boundaries and a six in the 13th over to make it a run-a-ball target for his team.
Laurie Evans ensured more strike was taken by his aggressive partner Gous, and together they put their team on the road to an easy victory. They put on 71 runs in 43 balls for the fourth wicket before Evans fell to Mills, caught by Hose at long-on for 21. By then, only three runs were needed to win. Imad Wasim hit the winning boundary as Gous remained unbeaten five runs short of a century.
