After two seasons of near misses, the Desert Vipers defeated the Kieron Pollard-led MI Emirates by 46 runs in the final to lift their first-ever International League T20 trophy at the Dubai International Stadium.
The foundation for victory was anchored superbly by captain Sam Curran as he played a masterful innings, remaining unbeaten on 74 from just 51 balls.
He provided stability and support for his fellow batsmen with Max Holden contributing a well-played 41 off 32 and Dan Lawrence chipping in with 23 off 15, which took the Vipers to a formidable total of 182/4.
However, the Emirates found it difficult on the field, as Pollard used all eight bowlers, including himself and fellow West Indian Romario Shepherd.
Shepherd was the most expensive in the innings, conceding 35 runs from his three overs.
In their chase, the MI Emirates struggled to make an impact, as the Vipers’ bowling attack was relentless from the very start and continued throughout the game.
They got the breakthrough in the third over when veteran West Indian opener Andre Fletcher, after hitting a six, fell for 10 runs to the Pakistani seamer Naseem Shah, who ended up claiming three wickets for just 18 runs. Spinner Usman was crucial in the middle phase. Tariq then conceded a mere 20 runs for his two wickets.
The final success came from left-arm seamer David Payne, who delivered an amazing three-wicket over to shatter the Emirates’ lower order, finishing with figures of 3/42. The Emirates innings collapsed for just 136 in 18.3 overs.
Pollard ended with a run-a-ball 28, while Shepherd made just one run after facing two balls. Shakib Al Hasan was the innings’ top scorer with 36.
For the Vipers, this was a massive triumph after having lost in the final in the previous two editions. This season, they entered the competition as the most consistent side and capped off the tournament with the much-desired and sought-after title.
