The Desert Vipers are aiming to turn the Dubai International Stadium green on Saturday, February 3rdwhen they stage their first-ever Sustainability Match.The game against the Gulf Giants in the DP World ILT20, the UAE’s own Twenty20 cricket league, will see the franchise roll out a host of initiatives that will highlight the issues of climate change and plastic waste.Desert Vipers players will wear green kit and fans will be encouraged to come to the stadium wearing green.The franchise will hand out green fan shirts displaying their “Net Zero 2040” pledge and other sustainability messaging.Fans are also being asked to bring with them old, unused or unwanted items of sports clothing which will then be recycled or upcycled, in keeping with the Vipers’ commitment to sending nothing to landfill.A core group of Vipers fans will travel to the match in vehicles powered by biofuels, and the player of the match trophy will be made of sustainable material.The fan village outside the stadium will also feature sustainability-themed activities and recycling bins will be a feature at the venue, All plastic waste materials collected will be sent to the Vipers’ recycling partners who will produce sportswear from it.Desert Vipers Chief Executive Officer Phil Oliver said: “The Sustainability Match is intended to highlight what we stand for as a franchise – our commitment to raise awareness of the threat that climate change poses to everyone.“We want to lead the way and set the example for this type of occasion and we hope other teams and leagues will follow suit.“Our initiatives will hopefully be a fun way for the fans to engage with what we are doing and if it starts people thinking about the issues we are raising then all the better.“By bringing these issues to the attention of the watching world we can foster conversations and behavioural change among cricket fans that will ultimately benefit everyone.“We are grateful to the league for allowing us this platform to champion what we believe are issues that are fundamental not only to the game of cricket but also to the planet.“As with our agreements with Bat For A Chance and The Plastic Pledge, the Sustainability Match fits in perfectly with ourSustainability Strategy Framework. And our mantra of reduce, reuse and recycle.“It really is true that the longest journey starts with the first step. We have taken the first few steps towards protecting and preserving our environment and we hope others will join us on the journey.”The Sustainability Match builds upon the actions the Desert Vipers have already taken.The franchise became Dubai’s first signatory to the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework, bringing with it a commitment to reduce its emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040.The Vipers have also eradicated single-use plastic bottles from the dressing rooms at all matches thanks to its Sustainability Impact Partnership with Bluewater, with the players and staff all having reusable drinks bottles.Through its partnerships with Bat For A Chance and The Plastic Pledge the franchise is championing the causes of reusing and recycling old and unwanted playing kit with the aim of sending zero items to landfill.The Desert Vipers are already undertaking a schools and community outreach programme across Dubai with the twin aims of introducing children to cricket and highlighting the need to protect the environment.The second season of the DP World ILT20 began on 19 January and concludes with a final on 17 February. The Desert Vipers were runners-up in season one, losing in the final to the Gulf Giants, the opponents in the Sustainability Match.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 Viperswent down by seven runs againstSharjah Warriorsin theirInternational League T20(ILT20)2024encounter at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, January 28.

Luke WoodandWanindu Hasarangabagged three-wicket hauls to restrict Sharjah Warriors to 174/7 in their 20 overs. In reply,Alex Hales’ impressive fifty went in vain as the Vipers fell short by just a few runs.

Earlier, Desert Vipers’ captainColin Munrowon the toss and opted to field first.

The Vipers got off to a brilliant start as left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood dismissed both of Warriors’ opening batters, Niroshan Dickwella (5) and Johnson Charles (6), in the second over of the game.

The Warriors’ skipper Tom Kohler-Cadmore joined Martin Guptill at the crease. The duo stitched a crucial partnership for the third wicket to put the pressure back on the Vipers’ bowlers as Kohler-Cadmore brought up his fifty off just 26 balls.

In the 11th over, Wood later provided the much-needed breakthrough for the Vipers as he removed Kohler-Cadmore (68) to end a 101-run stand.

Following Kohler-Cadmore’s dismissal, Joe Denly and Guptill (39) added 26 runs together beforeShaheen Afridigot the massive wicket of the Kiwi batter in the 15th over.

Wanindu Hasaranga then bamboozled the Warriors’ batters as he got three wickets in the very next over. The star leg-spinner banished Daniel Sams (1), Lewis Gregory (0) and Basil Hameed (0) to bring the Vipers back into the game.

In the final few overs, Chris Woakes and Denly added crucial runs to help the Warriors post 174/7 in their 20 overs.

Ahead of the chase, the Vipers brought in Alex Hales as their impact sub.

However, last season’s finalists got off to a challenging start as Munro departed in the first over.

Adam Hoselater walked into bat and forged a decent 26-run stand with Hales before he fell to Muhammad Jawadullah.

Despite losing Hose, Hales played some counter-attacking cricket as he slammed Mark Watt for 14 runs in the next over.

Meanwhile, the Vipers suffered huge blows as Hasaranga (6) andRohan Mustafa(14) were dismissed in quick succession.

Struggling at 68/4, wicketkeeper-batterAzam Khanjoined Hales at the crease.

Hales and Azam took the attack to the opposition as they played some scintillating shots to bring up the Vipers’ hundred in the 12th over. The English hard-hitting batter notched up his brilliant half-century in 37 balls.

Looking to up the ante, Hales later departed for 61. His knock included three fours and five sixes.

While Azam continued his attacking approach, the Vipers lost Sherfane Rutherford in the 16th over. Azam’s 22-ball 35 also soon came to an end after an unfortunate run-out.

Shaheen Afridi (14 not out) andShadab Khan(11 not out) later fought hard in the final few overs, but the Vipers lost the game by seven runs.

The Vipers will now look to quickly turn things around when they lock horns with MI Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, January 30.

Brief Scores

Sharjah Warriors174/7 in 20 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 68, Martin Guptill 39, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/30) beatDesert Vipers167/7 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 61, Azam Khan 35, Chris Woakes 2/26) by 7 runs

Desert Vipers’ captainColin Munroled from the front with a brilliant knock but it was Abu Dhabi Knight Riders who came out on top with a six-wicket win in their International League T20 (ILT20) 2024 encounter at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, January 27.

The Vipers rode on Munro’s 50 off 44 balls to post 154/8 in their 20 overs. In reply, Alishan Sharafu’s unbeaten 47-ball 82 guided the Knight Riders to their second win in ILT20 2024.

Earlier, Knight Riders captain Sunil Narine won the toss and put the Vipers into bat.

Captain Colin Munro and his opening partnerAlex Halesbegan proceedings for the Vipers.

However, the Vipers got off to a challenging start as they lost Hales (0) andAdam Hose(8) in the first five overs of the game.

Batting at number four, star all-rounderWanindu Hasarangawalked in and slammed a boundary followed by a six to get the innings moving. Scoring at a strike rate of 175, Hasaranga (14) later fell to Andre Russell.

At the other end, skipper Munro played sensibly to bring up the Vipers’ fifty in the eighth over.

The Vipers then suffered another huge blow as Azam Khan (9) perished to Narine.

Shadab Khanand Munro added 29 runs off 16 balls for the fifth wicket before the Pakistan all-rounder was dismissed in the 13th over.

Struggling at 90/5,Sherfane Rutherfordjoined Munro at the crease. The duo stitched an impressive partnership to put the pressure back on the bowlers.

Meanwhile, Munro continued his brilliant knock as he brought up his half-century in the 16th over before being dismissed by Ali Khan. The skipper’s knock included six fours and one six.

In the final few overs, the Vipers rode on crucial cameos from Rutherford (28) andShaheen Afridi(15) to post 154/8 in their 20 overs.

Defending 154, the Vipers got an early wicket as Joe Clarke (2) departed after a run-out in the second over.

The Vipers continued to pick wickets in the powerplay as star pacerMohammad Amirremoved wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous (10) while Hasaranga trapped Sam Hain (7) in front of the stumps.

Reeling at 34/3, Imad Wasim joined Alishan Sharafu at the crease. The duo went on to forge a fifty-run stand to put the Knight Riders in a great position.

In the 15th over, Hasaranga provided the much-needed breakthrough as he dismissed Wasim (25) to bring the Vipers back in the game.

However, Sharafu’s swashbuckling knock along with Russell’s quick-fire 24 helped the Knight Riders chase down the target in 17.2 overs.

Following the hard-fought loss, the Vipers are currently placed fifth in the ILT20 2024 standings with two points from three games.

The Vipers will aim to bounce back quickly when they square off against Sharjah Warriors in their upcoming ILT20 2024 encounter at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday, January 28.

Brief Scores

Desert Vipers154/8 in 20 overs (Colin Munro 50, Sherfane Rutherford 28, Imad Wasim 2/19) lost toAbu Dhabi Knight Riders160/4 in 17.2 overs (Alishan Sharafu 82*, Imad Wasim 25, Wanindu Hasaranga 2/12) by six wickets

The Desert Vipers fell to a six-wicket loss at the hands of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) in Abu Dhabi. This was their second loss to ADKR, and in the DP World ILT20, this season.Put into bat, the Vipers struggled to 154 for eight with captain Colin Munro the only player to make a significant contribution, with 50 from 44 deliveries. Sherfane Rutherford made 28, and they were key to getting the Vipers past the 150 mark.Led by UAE batter Alishan Sharafu, who remained unbeaten on 82 off 47 balls, ADKR chased down the target comfortably, winning with 16 balls to spare.Speaking to the Vipers Voices podcast after the match, Sherfane Rutherford said the team were not at their best, but given the tight schedule, he said they would need to quickly correct their mistakes and come back in better form. Quotes from that interview and from the fast-bowling coach Azhar Mahmood are included below.Match Scores:Toss:ADKR won the toss and chose to field firstDesert Vipers:154/8 (20 overs)Top scorer: Colin Munro 50 (44)Abu Dhabi Knight Riders:160/4 (17.2 overs)Match Result:ADKR won by six wickets with 16 balls to spare.Player of the Match: Alishan Sharafu 82* (47)Here are some quotes from a post-match interview with Desert Vipers Fast Bowling Coach Azhar Mahmood:“The ball was gripping early on and I thought 155 to 160 was a good score, but having said that the par score here is between 180 and 190 and we were about 20 runs short. In the end, although we got early wickets, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders had a good partnership between Imad Wasim and Alishan Sharafu.“We did not execute well with the ball, we did not use the big boundary, and allowed them to play their shots.“Tomorrow is another game, and we have a world-class bowling lineup. We need to reflect on where we made mistakes, and we have to make sure we do not repeat them.”Here are some quotes from the Vipers Voices post-match podcast featuring Desert Vipers player Sherfane Rutherford:“It is one of those days when things did not go well for us. I think 150 was always below par, we were about 20 or 30 runs short. Having said that, I think we lost wickets in clusters, and when that happens it tends to push you on the backfoot.“I think it is a learning for us, but we have to learn fast because the games will come thick and fast, and it is for us to look in the mirror and correct our small mistakes and come back better tomorrow.”“I do not think the toss decides the game, I think if we had batted properly we could have won the game. Having said that, I also think the Knight Riders bowled with a plan. As a team, we need to look back at ourselves and try and see where we can correct a few things. In tournaments like these, these things do happen, it is just for us to bounce back.“Colin Munro’s innings kept us in the game, he actually set it up, so when I came in at the back end I could give them a push, but it did not happen for me or the team. An innings like that (of Colin) is one positive out of the game.“I do not think we have batted well; we are yet to score 170 in this tournament, and on these good wickets, with such good players, I think runs on the board is important.“Sunday’s game is a must-win game because in these tournaments you do not want to be catching up. They are all good teams playing, and if you find yourself in a position where you need to catch up, it becomes even harder. I think it is important for us to learn fast and come tomorrow and get a second win. Tomorrow is a new day and we are ready to go again.”The Desert Vipers are back in action on Sunday, January 28th, when they take on the Sharjah Warriors in Sharjah.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.