Desert Vipers end the ILT20 2024 campaign on a high with a comprehensive win over Sharjah Warriors
Desert Vipersproduced an impressive all-round performance to defeatSharjah Warriorsby six wickets in their final league match of theILT20 2024at the iconicSharjah Cricket Stadiumon Sunday, February 11.
The Vipers rode on a brilliant bowling performance to restrict the Warriors to 121/9 after the match was reduced to 18 overs a side due to rain. Later,Philip Salt’s 30 off 12 balls,Colin Munro’s 20-ball 27 andDinesh Chandimal’s unbeaten 24 helped the Vipers chase down the target with 31 balls to spare.
Earlier, captain Munro won the toss and opted to field in Sharjah.
Star all-rounderSam Curranprovided an early breakthrough as he got the massive wicket of opposition captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore (4) in the fourth over of the game.
In the very next ball,Daniel Lawrencejoined the party as he cleaned up opener Niroshan Dickwella (20) to reduce the Warriors to 25/2.
The Vipers continued to pick wickets in the middle overs as right-arm off-spinnerNathan Sowterremoved Martin Guptill (11) and Joe Denly (2) in his back-to-back overs.
Struggling at 65/4, Sean Williams joined Luke Wells at the crease. The pair added 25 runs for the fifth wicket before Sowter dismissed Wells (31).
Williams’ short stay also came to an end as he fell toMatheesha Pathiranafor 23 in the 16th over.
Curran later bagged his second wicket of the match as he got rid of Daniel Sams (15).
Meanwhile, Pathirana bowled brilliantly in the death overs to claim the wickets of Mark Watt (2) and Adil Rashid (0) to restrict the Warriors to a below-par total.
Ahead of the chase, the Vipers drafted in Alex Hales as their super sub in place of Mohammad Amir.
Chasing 122, the Vipers got off to a flying start courtesy of their openers Salt and Hales.
The swashbuckling duo slammed the Warriors’ bowlers to all parts of the ground.
Salt and Hales brought the Vipers’ fifty in just 3.4 overs before the former departed for a blitzkrieg 12-ball 30.
Despite Salt’s dismissal, Hales and Lawrence continued their attacking approach to put the pressure on the bowlers.
However, the Vipers then suffered double blows as Lawrence (7) and Hales (21) perished in quick succession.
The Vipers’ debutant Chandimal joined skipper Munro at the crease. The pair later stitched a crucial partnership to notch up the Vipers’ hundred in 10.1 overs.
Munro (27) and Chandimal (24) added a scintillating 50-run partnership before the Vipers’ captain departed after an unfortunate run-out.
Batting at number six, Curran later clobbered a match-winning six in the 13th over to help the Vipers finish the T20 tournament on a high.
Despite a difficult season, the Vipers will take plenty of positives and aim to bounce back stronger in the upcoming edition of the ILT20.
Brief Scores
Sharjah Warriors121/9 in 18 overs (Luke Wells 31, Sean Williams 23; Nathan Sowter 3/21) lost toDesert Vipers123/4 in 12.5 overs (Philip Salt 30, Colin Munro 27; Junaid Siddique 2/16) by 6 wickets
Desert Vipers suffer heartbreaking loss against Dubai Capitals
Desert Vipers’ spirited all-round effort went in vain as they lost againstDubai Capitalsby five wickets in a pulsatingILT20 2024encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday, February 9.
The Vipers rode onAlex Hales’ 37-ball 66 andPhil Salt’s quick-fire 26 to post 171/7 in their 20 overs. Later, DV bowlers produced an impressive performance to restrict the Capitals’ batters before Sikandar Raza’s last-ball six broke the Vipers’ hearts.
For the Vipers,Sam Curran, Phil Salt andMichael Jonesmade their ILT20 debut in the Dubai derby.
Put into bat, the English duo of Salt and Alex Hales opened the proceedings for the Vipers.
Hales got the Vipers off to a sensational start as he slammed DCP left-arm pacer Richard Ngarava for three maximums and two fours to accumulate 26 runs in the third over.
At the other end, Salt then joined the party as he clobbered Scott Kuggeleijn for a six to bring the Vipers’ fifty in just 3.1 overs.
The opening pair forged a brilliant 66-run stand before Salt departed for a 11-ball 26.
Following Salt’s dismissal,Daniel Lawrencejoined Hales at the crease. The Vipers’ duo continued their attacking approach to put pressure on the bowlers.
Meanwhile, Hales notched up his scintillating half-century off just 25 balls.
Hales and Lawrence added a 34-run partnership for the second wicket to bring the Vipers’ hundred in just eight overs.
However, the Vipers later suffered a huge blow as Lawrence (15) fell to Roelof van der Merwe.
In the middle overs, the Vipers lost momentum as captainColin Munro, Alex Hales,Adam Hoseand Curran departed in short intervals.
Debutant Michael Jones then played a crucial knock of a run-a-ball 20 to power the Vipers to a fighting total on the board.
Defending 171, Curran provided an early breakthrough as he got rid of Max Holden (8) courtesy of a stunning catch by Hose in the second over.
In the following over, star pacerMohammad Amirbagged his first wicket of the game as he cleaned up Ben Dunk (1).
Ali Naseerlater inflicted more misery as he got the massive wicket of Tom Banton (15) to reduce the Capitals to 32/3 inside the powerplay.
In desperate need of a partnership, Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza then made a 79-run stand to bring the Capitals back into the game.
In the 15th over,Matheesha Pathiranaproduced a lethal yorker to remove Billings for 57.
Despite losing Billings, Raza played an impressive knock at the other end. Raza and Dasun Shanaka added 40 runs before the Sri Lankan fell to Curran.
With 21 needed off 12 balls, Scott Kuggeleijn walked out to bat. The pair added eight runs in the 19th over to reduce the deficit to 13 runs.
Skipper Munro gave the final over toAli Naseer to defend 13 runs. The Vipers’ right-arm bowler held his nerves and bowled brilliantly as he conceded just seven runs in his five balls.
However, Raza later hit a match-winning six in the final ball of the game to help the Capitals register a nail-biting five-wicket win in the Dubai derby.
The Vipers will now take on Sharjah Warriors in their final league match of ILT20 2024 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Brief Scores
Desert Vipers171/7 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 66, Phil Salt 26; Roelof van der Merwe 2/19) lost toDubai Capitals172/5 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 60*, Sam Billings 57; Sam Curran 2/39) by 5 wickets
Sam Curran and Phil Salt relishing the challenge of winning two from two to reach the play-offs
England team-mates Sam Curran and Phil Salt have a tough assignment ahead of them, having joined the Desert Vipers camp straight from South Africa’s SA20 league, and being asked to help the team achieve their goal of two wins from two games in order to secure their place in the next stage of the DP World ILT20.But the positive is that both players have a wealth of experience in leagues around the world, apart from representing England at the highest level, and that means they are focused but relaxed about the task that lies ahead.Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast Phil Salt said it was all part of being an international cricketer: “As professional sportsmen that challenge (of coming in to the tournament and knowing the team needs to win its final two group games) is something we look forward to.“One of the pitfalls is you come (into the team) and want to shoot the lights out in two games and show everybody how good you are.“But the real skill is in this situation, where we have to win two from two, is to not change anything, and to come in and be yourself and do what you know you can do and try and perform to the best of your ability. And if you do that hopefully the outcome will take care of itself.”Sam Curran had a similar view but said he would not be piling on any pressure on himself as that could be detrimental to the Vipers’ cause: “I think that (the situation where the team needs to win final two group games to qualify for the next stage) was part of why I found it so exciting to come to the Vipers,” he said.“Having looked at the points table and having chatted with Tom Moody and James Foster, the aim is to try and win two from two, but we will try and focus on our first game on Friday.“We want to come in and make an impact, of course, but we will not put pressure on ourselves. It is about getting ourselves into the tournament and filling those gaps that hopefully the team needed, and fingers crossed we sit here in three or four days having qualified for the knockouts.“It is exciting and we like playing group games that have got a lot more on them, and fingers crossed we start with a win.”With a new team, new conditions, and a tournament that is past the halfway mark, both Phil Salt and Tom Curran acknowledged it was a challenging scenario.Phil Salt said: “I know a couple of guys who also flew in from the South African league and had to play a game straight away. We are quite lucky that we have got two training sessions before our first game, and we have got the chance to get ready.“It can be a bit more of a challenge when you come in from somewhere else slightly under-prepared with regard to the local conditions. It all depends on the schedule, but it is becoming tougher and tougher as a player to manage your year and manage your own performance at times. We are lucky to have these two days before the first game.”Sam Curran added that what helped him choose to take up the offer with the Vipers was that the team and coaching staff featured a lot of familiar faces: “My decision to come to this franchise was because I know quite a lot of people on this team.“Azhar Mahmood is my bowling coach at Surrey, Tom Moody was the Oval Invincibles coach (in The Hundred) and a lot of England team mates are also on this squad, so it was a no-brainer for me (to join the Vipers). It is also good we have a couple of training sessions to prepare and meet the team and guys we do not really know, so I am not too worried.”Sam Curran comes into the Vipers squad that is missing the services of his brother Tom Curran due to injury and Sam provided an update when he said: “He (Tom Curran) is doing well. He was gutted not to be here, and he was someone I spoke to about coming here.“He obviously said great things about the franchise. He left the Big Bash League early to sort out his injury. I speak to him regularly and he is recovering well, and fingers crossed he will be back on the park soon.”Tickets for the Vipers’ final matches of the regular season are available via the DP World ILT20 website and at any Virgin Megastore across the UAE.
Sam Curran and Phil Salt bolster the side’s roster – Vipers Voices
In this episode we speak with the Vipers recruits Phil Salt and Sam Curran, the England internationals who have flown in from the SA20 in South Africa to bolster the side’s roster in the run-in to the end of the regular season of the DP World ILT20.
Wicketkeeper-batter Phil has arrived from Pretoria Capitals and all-rounder Sam, has joined from MI Cape Town and both of them are experienced internationals.
Both were part of the England squad that lifted the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 with Sam being named player of the tournament on that occasion and more recently Phil was absolutely superb in the T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean in December when he scored two hundreds at the top of the order and made more than twice as many runs as any player from either team.
The good news for them both – as they touch upon in our chat that follows is that they’ve had time to get their feet under the table with a couple of training sessions after arriving before getting their teeth into two massive matches, the first of which is against Dubai capitals at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday evening, February the 9th.
The Vipers’ final two group matches are against the Capitals and the Sharjah Warriors. Two wins should be enough for a place in the play-offs but it also means that every game is a virtual knock-out from hereon in.
What that should produce is compelling cricket and if you want to watch the matches against the Capitals or against the Warriors at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium then it couldn’t be easier to get hold of tickets.
Dan Lawrence returns to the Vipers nest for the group stage run-in
England batter Dan Lawrence is back in the Vipers fold after being given permission to play for the franchise in their next two matches in the DP World ILT20.Dan, the Vipers’ first Wildcard pick for the season, left the side after the opening match of the tournament when he was a late call-up for England’s Test tour of India following Harry Brook’s withdrawal.England are now having a break in the UAE until February 12thfollowing the first two Tests of that five-match series.And with Dan not making the playing eleven in either of those first two encounters in India, England have given him permission to rejoin the Vipers for the matches against the Dubai Capitals on Friday, February the 9thand the Sharjah Warriors two days later.Commenting on Dan’s return to the Desert Vipers, Desert Vipers Director of Cricket Tom Moody said: “We are delighted to welcome Dan back to the Vipers and it is something that makes perfect sense for everyone.“The Vipers are getting a top-class player, someone who can affect the game with bat and ball who has already been part of the Vipers set-up, and someone who is craving match action.“For his part, Dan is getting the opportunity for some time in the middle and, when he returns to the England fold, they will have a player who will have benefited from playing after time on the side-lines during the ongoing Test series.“We are grateful to the England team for allowing Dan to re-join us and grateful, too, for Dan’s willingness to jump at the opportunity.“In his short time with us at the start of the tournament, Dan was a terrific, positive influence both on and off the field and we look forward to him playing a part in pushing us towards the play-offs as the regular season draws to a close.”The Desert Vipers are back in action on Friday, February 9, when they take on the Dubai Capitals at the Dubai International Stadium. The match against the Sharjah Warriors on February 11 will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.Tickets for all Desert Vipers matches are now on sale and can be purchased via the official DP World ILT20 website or at any Virgin Megastore across the UAE.
Desert Vipers join forces with Hertz UAE to drive reduction of carbon footprint
The Desert Vipers, the cricket team that plays in the UAE Twenty20 league, the DP World ILT20, has teamed up with Hertz UAE, part of the Al-Futtaim Automotive Group, in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint.In a year-long collaboration, Hertz UAE will serve as the franchise’s Sustainable Mobility Partner, supplying electric and hybrid vehicles to propel the team towards eco-friendly transportation solutions.The strategic shift to electric and hybrid vehicles aligns with the Vipers’ ambitious goal to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, ultimately achieving a net-zero status by 2040.Beyond vehicle provision, the partnership extends to supporting the Desert Vipers’ schools outreach programme. This initiative not only introduces youngsters to cricket but also imparts knowledge about the climate crisis.As part of the collaboration, Hertz UAE’s logos will be featured on the Vipers shirts distributed to students participating in the schools outreach programme.Furthermore, Hertz UAE will also play an active role in events aimed at raising awareness about the Desert Vipers’ commitment to sustainability, with details to be announced in due course.Commenting on the partnership, Desert Vipers CEO Phil Oliver said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with Hertz Al-Futtaim and thank them for their support.“Switching from petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to electric and hybrid means of transport is a tangible way of us ‘walking the talk’ in our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and the support of Hertz Al-Futtaim is fundamental in our ability to do this.“In addition, their support of our schools programme will help us to introduce cricket to children across Dubai while also getting across our message about sustainability and the climate emergency that threatens the sport and the planet.“We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure we are sustainable in every way we can be, and this partnership with Hertz Al-Futtaim is another illustration of that commitment.”Alexander Maas, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Finance and Hertz UAE, said, “As a leading national franchise and the first car rental brand in the country to introduce fully electric vehicles in its portfolio, we are pleased to partner with the Desert Vipers to drive change on and off the field. Our goal is to be at the forefront of the green mobility transition, and by providing a fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, we are not only powering the team’s journey to victory but also contributing to building a sustainable future that aligns with the UAE Net-Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative.”
