Banton, Pooran steer MI Emirates to emphatic 26-run triumph over Dubai Capitals

Abu Dhabi [UAE], January 14 (ANI): The MI Emirates cruised to their first win of the International League T20 (ILT20) season as they rode on half-centuries from Tom Banton and Nicholas Pooran to clinch a 26-run win against the Dubai Capitals in the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Shai Hope was the star of the match as he scored a magnificent century of 101 runs in 59 balls, but it went in vain as the Dubai Capitals lost to the MI Emirates for the first time in group stages in the tournament’s history. Fazalhaq Farooqi’s over, where he picked up two wickets and conceded just three runs, turned the course of the game in favour of the MI Emirates.

With the Capitals chasing a daunting target of 188, MI Emirates opened their bowling with spin as Akeal Hosein was handed the new ball and the move nearly paid off in the third over. Ben Dunk skied a quicker one, but the chance went begging as Waqar Salamkheil dropped a sitter. Shai Hope, at the other end, did the bulk of the scoring and anchored the Capitals’ innings.

Alzarri Joseph gave MI Emirates the breakthrough as he bowled Dunk in the sixth over, but Hope motored on at the other end and brought up his 50 in 32 deliveries.

Hope and McMullen put up 61 for the second wicket before the latter was stumped by Nicholas Pooran. It was a redemption tale for Salamkheil as he finally got his man.

Hope remained unscathed and hit AM Ghazanfar for a four and a six as he brought up his T20 career’s second century. This was the first century scored by a Dubai Capitals player and also the third 100 in the history of the ILT20. Hope could not go further as he fell the very next ball.

The momentum swiftly swung in the MI Emirates’ way thereafter as Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Sikandar Raza with a toe-crushing yorker. Farooqi made it two in two as he crafted yet another brilliant yorker to get rid of Dasun Shanaka’s off stump.

The Dubai Capitals were left to rue their chances as Zahoor Khan bowled a fantastic 19th over, giving away just one run. The Dubai Capitals needed 36 in the final over, but it proved to be too steep a hill to climb as the MI Emirates sealed an emphatic victory.

Earlier in the evening, MI Emirates stuttered early on as Dushmantha Chameera was on the money in his very first delivery. He outfoxed Kusala Perera and dislodged his leg stump to give the Dubai Capitals an early footing in the game. Tom Banton joined Muhammed Waseem in the middle and the duo offered the MI Emirates some much-needed stability with a key partnership of 38 runs that was littered with boundaries.

However, Raza made amends for a missed catch earlier as he found the stumps with a stunning throw from mid-off and Waseem returned to the pavilion for 18. The powerplay ended with MI Emirates putting up 50/2, with both teams having plenty of positive takeaways.

Banton continued to thrive on one end, bringing up his half-century in style as he swept Zahir Khan for a huge six on the leg side to wrap up the 11th over.

Coming in at number four, Pooran joined the party as he clobbered two fours and six sixes in a 29-ball endeavour that yielded 59 runs. Pooran took down Olly Stone for three successive sixes in the 15th over. The skipper began his onslaught with a perfectly timed scoop, the next was a fortunate edge that sailed over the ropes and the third was a repeat of the first. In pursuit of a fourth consecutive maximum, he holed out to Dasun Shanaka at deep midwicket.

Stone struck again in the 18th over as he got rid of Banton, the architect of MI Emirates’ innings, for a top score of 74 runs in 52 balls. Romario Shepherd, Kieron Pollard and Joseph made up Gulbadin Naib’s second consecutive three-wicket haul in the final over as the Capitals restricted the MI Emirates to 187-7.

Expressing his regret on not bringing the Capitals home, centurion Shai Hope said, “A 100 always feels a lot sweeter when you end up on the winning side. Just unfortunate I could not get the team there, but we just fell short with the bat. It was a pretty good pitch, and I thought we did well to restrict them to under 200,” as quoted from a release by ILT20.

Meanwhile, Player of the Match, Tom Banton remarked, “It was tricky to begin with. We spoke pre-game that someone’s got to bat through the innings. I looked to put pressure back on the bowlers when the ball was in my area. I’ve played a lot of cricket here and the wickets are always good. It’s my first year here, I was with MI Cape Town last year. Someone has to put his hand up every game, and today it was me. ”