Hetmyer, Pooran star in ILT20

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC):

Enterprising batting from Shimron Hetmyer, and a Player of the Match performance from Nicholas Pooran enabled their respective sides to clinch wins in the International League T20 (ILT20) yesterday in the United Arab Emirates.

Hetmyer hit three fours and four sixes in an unbeaten 53 off 28 balls in a brutal assault on the Sharjah Warriors bowling attack and helped set up Gulf Giants for a 79-run win. A few hours later, Pooran spurred Mumbai Indians Emirates into the play-offs with a resounding 30-run win against the Desert Vipers.

Hetmyer entertained a crowd that filled almost every seat at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after the Giants were put in to bat and they defied the early loss of opener Jamie Smith to reach 187 for six.

Giants reached 51 for one at the close of the Power Play, but Zimbabwe international Sean Williams bagged two wickets and had them wobbling on 75 for three at the halfway stage.

Williams got Australian Chris Lynn caught at mid-wicket for 45 and England international James Vince caught at long-off for 20 in the space of four balls in the 10th over after they had put on 66 for the second wicket.

Giants slumped to 87 for four in the 12th over when Williams bowled Jordan Cox for four, but Hetmyer, batting at four, took charge and propelled his side to a respectable total.

He shared a tidy stand of 35 with Gerhard Erasmus for the fifth wicket and 59 with Jamie Overton for the sixth wicket to get the Giants back on track. He gained a reprieve on 24 when he survived a referral after it appeared Daniel Sams had him caught him at long-off by England international Joe Denly.

He celebrated his escape with three sixes and a boundary off Williams in the 17th over, which cost 26, and left the bowler nursing the final figures of three for 46 from four overs.

The Warriors, too, endured an early setback when 18-year-old UAE left-arm spinner Aayan Afzal Khan, bowling the first over, got Sri Lankan opener Niroshan Dickwella caught behind with the first ball of the chase, and Denly caught at mid-off with the second delivery.

The chase continued to go awry for the Warriors, and they limped to 35 for three at the close of the Power Play after West Indies batsman Johnson Charles was caught behind off Overton for two in the fourth over.

After West Indies left-arm pacer Dominic Drakes got Warriors captain Tom-Kohler Cadmore caught at deep mid-wicket for the top score of 39, the Warriors decline was accelerated when 20-year-old UAE leg-spinner Zuhaib Zubair grabbed four for 22 in his four overs.

Later at Zayed Cricket Stadium in neighbouring Abu Dhabi, Pooran cracked three fours and four sixes in 39 from 15 balls and followed up with four catches behind the stumps, and MI Emirates cruised to their table-leading sixth win in eight matches.

Pooran led a late-innings assault after Sri Lankan Kusal Perera stroked 65 from 46 balls and former India batsman Ambati Rayudu gathered 44, and MI Emirates reached 188 for five.

The Vipers’ run chase never found momentum after they plunged to 38 for five at the close of the Power Play.

Afghanistan left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi was the pick of the MI bowlers, taking four for 31 from his four overs, and the Vipers responded with 158 for eight.