All-rounder Tom Curran was the top performer for the Vipers with both bat and ball.
Desert Vipers played their "A-game" and defeated Gulf Giants in Qualifier 1 on Wednesday. After a superb all-round performance, the Vipers won by 19 runs and qualified for the ILT20 2023 final.
The Vipers set a reasonable target of 179 runs for Gulf Giants to win this match and qualify for the final. The Giants' opening duo of skipper James Vince and Chris Lynn began the chase cautiously as they managed to accumulate only 11 runs in the first two overs. They further helped the Giants through to the end of the power play, adding 53 runs in six overs.
A quick counterattack from the Vipers halted the giants' quest. Sri Lankan star spinner Wanindu Hasaranga removed Lynn (26). Things worsened when Tom Curran knocked out his countryman Vince for 21 runs. The Giants' situation deteriorated further as they were reduced to 75 for two after 10 overs.
Hasaranga took charge in the 11th over and dismissed newcomers Colin de Grandhomme (11) and David Wiese (0) cheaply. After 12 overs, the Giants were left with Shimron Hetmyer and Carlos Brathwaite at the crease with the scores reading 77 for four.
The Caribbean southpaw scored 36 runs off 21 balls before being dismissed in the 15th over. English gloveman Tom Banton (8) joined Brathwaite at the crease but couldn't make his stay count as he was dismissed in the 16th over. The Giants were trailing at 122 for six after that over.
Hasaranga leaked a couple of sixes in his final over, which made things a bit interesting going towards the end. But the Vipers' bowlers held their nerves and scalped a few more wickets on their way to the ILT20 Final ticket. Apart from Hasaranga, Luke Wood (2/26) and Curran (4/31) were also impressive with the ball. The Vipers bundled out the Giants' innings for 159 runs as they won by 19 runs.
Put into bat first, Desert Vipers deployed Alex Hales and Rohan Mustafa to open the innings. Mustafa began the carnage with three big sixes before getting out for 23 runs in the fourth over. Table toppers Gulf Giants dominated from there on by dismissing Hales (3) and skipper Colin Munro (2) as the Vipers were reduced to 36 for three at the end of the power play.
Sam Billings and Hasaranga provided some resistance with the bat adding 60 runs for the fourth wicket. Hasaranga departed in the 12th over after an effective cameo of 31 runs. The scoreboard read 93 for four when Caribbean hard-hitter Sherfane Rutherford arrived at the crease.
Later in the 15th over, Billings was also dismissed after a brief stay of 31 runs. This left the Vipers struggling at 109 for five at the end of that over. The giants were in control till Rutherford (37) limped off with a hamstring injury, but as he came back he changed the atmosphere of the game along with Curran (29) to shift the balance of the match in the Vipers' favour.
Desert Vipers wrapped up their innings with 178 on the board at the expense of seven wickets in 20 overs.
The Vipers won by 19 runs and qualify for the final. Rutherford and Curran ended the innings on high which lift the tempo and was nicely defended by the bowlers, specially Hasaranga and Curran took the wickets when Vipers needed, taking three and four wickets each.
Brief Scores
Desert Vipers 178/7 in 20 overs (S Rutherford 37, W Hasaranga 31, C Jordan 3/40) defeated Gulf Giants 159/10 in 20 overs (S Hetmyer 36, C Lynn 26, T Curran 4/31) by 19 runs.
