The Desert Vipers were made to fight hard for a one-wicket win against the Perth Scorchers XI in the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) on Tuesday night in a contest that went right down to the wire. In doing so, they have knocked out the Scorchers and qualify for the playoffs.
Set just 113 to win, the Vipers’ run chase was full of ups and downs, but it was Player of the Match Rilee Rossouw, whose 50 from 31 balls on a pitch where no other batter looked comfortable, that was the key difference maker for Shadab Khan’s side.
Earlier the Vipers won the toss, opted to bowl first and took advantage of playing on a used surface to produce a highly disciplined effort, limiting the Scorchers to just 112 for six in their 20 overs. The six bowlers used conceded just six fours and two sixes while bowling a total of 52 dot balls.
Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre was the pick of the attack, finishing with two for 14, and he, Shadab and Vitel Lawes, between them, took five for 48 from 12 overs to strangle the life out of the Perth innings.
The Vipers’ run chase was a dramatic affair with wickets falling at regular intervals. Only Rilee Rossouw, making his second successive half-century to cement his place as tournament top run-scorer, seemed unaffected by the conditions.
In the final over it was down to Vitel Lawes and Nathan Smith to take the team across the line, with the latter hitting the winning runs and to keep the Desert Vipers’ chances in the tournament alive.
The four other teams are in action in the final two group games of the tournament on July 29, but with this victory the Vipers are now in a good position to make it to the Play-Offs.
Match Scores:
Toss: Desert Vipers
Perth Scorchers XI : 112/6
Top-scorers: Andre Fletcher 40 (47 balls) Akeal Hosein 32 not out (35)
Leading wicket-takers: Khary Pierre 2-14, Vitel Lawes 2-18
Desert Vipers: 116/9 (19.5 overs)
Top scorers: Rilee Rossouw 50 (31), Vriitya Aravind 16 (19)
Top wicket-taker: Akeal Hosein 4-15
Match Result: Desert Vipers won by one wicket with one ball to spare
Player of the Match: Rilee Rossouw
Here are some quotes from the Vipers Voices post-match podcast featuring Desert Vipers Assistant Coach Shane Dowrich
On how the match went right down to the wire, despite the Vipers restricting the Perth Scorchers to 112/6, the lowest total so far in this year’s competition: “I think, looking at the score we were able to restrict them to, you would tell yourself that you are getting that (win) every day of the week, but these conditions in Guyana make it tough and we always know that it is a place where bowlers are always in the game so we always try to take it as deep as possible and just try to get over the line and we managed to do that today.”
On the final stages of the run chase and how Vitel Lawes and Nathan Smith managed to take the team across the line: “There were a few nerves around but we always knew that we would get over the line. It was not a massive total and we needed to keep our cool and assess the situation and play accordingly. I think young Vitel Lawes was really good in the situation, he kept his calm and he was able to find the boundary and also very importantly get Nathan back on strike to win the game for us.”
On how the spin attack was very effective for the Vipers, with three bowlers bowling 12 overs, and accounting for five of the six Perth Scorchers XI wickets to fall: “They (the spinners) did bowl well but I think the pitch was really assisting our spinners. We always knew that this pitch was the one that spins a little bit more than the other two that we played on, but credit to them for sticking to the plans and Khary (Pierre) was just phenomenal in the power play. He was very stingy, he hit his areas and he was able to restrict the batsmen from getting the boundaries. I think all of our bowlers on the whole have been sticking to the plan as well and they have been working out for us.”
On why most batters, with the exception of Rilee Rossouw, struggled in the tough conditions: “I think in Guyana it is very tough (for the batters) to start, so our batters did not really get off to the start they wanted in the power play and then there was a little bit of a stutter after that. But Rilee’s been in good form and he seems to have found a way to score on these pitches and I think that is what really carried him through today.”
On the mood in the Vipers camp after back-to-back victories and a real chance of making it in to the play-offs: “I think we are very happy to be giving ourselves a chance to get into the play-offs and then see where we are at but at the end of the day we have got to make sure that we play it one game at a time and see if we can take it right to the end.”
