The Desert Vipers lost their final group match of the DP World ILT20, to the Gulf Giants, by a margin of 25 runs at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Vipers made three changes to the line-up from their previous outing against the Dubai Capitals with Wanindu Hasaranga, Luke Wood and Gus Atkinson given a break, at the end of a gruelling schedule of five matches in eight days. Choosing to bowl first, Colin Munro’s team were set a target of 181 to win, but after a rapid start the Vipers stumbled, lost wickets in clusters, and fell short of that target. Shimron Hetmyer’s 54 off 35 deliveries for the Gulf Giants earned him the Player of the Match award.
Match Scores:
Gulf Giants: 180/6 (20 overs)
Desert Vipers: 155/6 (20 overs)
Match Result: Gulf Giants won by 25 runs.
Player of the Match: Shimron Hetmyer 54 (35)
Here are some quotes from Tom Curran from the post-match media conference:
“We definitely struggled and losing wickets in clusters didn’t help. But absolutely, when I was batting, I thought we could win. I just could not get it over the line there.
“We are looking forward to some rest and recovery. We have played some really good cricket through the tournament and that allowed us the luxury of resting some of our bowlers today. Hopefully a couple of days of recharging, and then we get set and go back to training on Monday and Tuesday before the game on Wednesday.
“I think they got too many runs to be honest. It was not a straightforward wicket, and it was pretty dry and pretty slow, and we probably got it a bit wrong with the ball. But that can happen. A lot of those guys have not bowled a lot in this competition. I think they (Gulf Giants) got about 20-odd more runs than they should have. There was a stage where we looked like we were going nicely, but we lost too many wickets.
“We needed over twelve an over or maybe fourteen, so we needed boundaries, and I was trying to clear the fence. I thought if I faced the majority of the balls and got two or three boundaries an over, we would get close to the target. But it was not quite enough.
“We will be treating it (qualifier against Gulf Giants on February 8) like a knockout game, and trying to get another extra day of recovery before the final and taking that momentum. We have played some really good cricket throughout this tournament and that shows as we are top of the table, and although tonight’s game was not ideal, I don’t think it will affect the group.”
Here are some quotes from the Vipers Voices podcast interview with Head Coach James Foster:
“It was a disappointing day for us today, we were nowhere near our best, but that can happen in T20 cricket. You can be flying and sometimes the odd rogue performance comes in. But we move on, it was the last game of the group stage, we have qualified, we are in a great position, and (we have been) playing really well in the campaign. So, we are looking forward to the qualifier.
“I thought it (Gulf Giants’ score of 180) was above par. With the way the wicket played it was slow, and if you were smart and disciplined with your bowling it was hard to score. But in the same breath it wasn’t the worst wicket either. With the start we got, we got off to a flyer, and we were well above the rate, but unfortunately once the opening partnership was broken, we didn’t really have a lot to throw at them and we didn’t have many answers. So, it wasn’t our best batting, bowling or fielding display. But we have been playing really well in this campaign, and there is still a lot of confidence in the group.
“We have made mistakes in the field, and we are very aware of that. We have a nice little break and then a couple of days of training and this is an opportunity for us to top up on all our skills.
“We have had to be smart, especially with this last five-game block, and overall. Playing ten games in twenty-one days does not happen very often in T20 cricket. It is very arduous, and with some back-to-back games and then (a schedule of) on and off and on and off it is tough work for players. There is a lot of adrenaline and mileage and energy that is spent when you play this game, so you have to be smart. You can’t just put guys out (to play) all the time, in my opinion. I hope we are going to get that benefit (of our approach of allowing players to recover) later on in this competition.
“We have a day off tomorrow (Sunday) and then two optional training sessions. Individuals know what they want to get out of the next three days. One of the keys is to make sure that everyone is mentally and physically fresh and then we will be absolutely ready for February the eighth.”
