Pollard’s MI Emirates fall short in ILT20 final

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates:

After two seasons of near misses, the Desert Vipers have finally shed their tag of bridesmaids.

In a commanding display of skill and nerve, they defeated the Kieron Pollard-led MI Emirates by 46 runs to lift their first-ever International League T20 trophy at a packed Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

The foundation of the victory was built around Vipers' batsmen, anchored superbly by captain Sam Curran. On a night demanding leadership, Curran played a masterful innings, remaining unbeaten on 74 from just 51 balls.

He provided the stability around which Max Holden, with 41 off 32 and Dan Lawrence, 23 off 15, could accelerate, powering the Vipers to a formidable total of 182 for four.

It was a day when the Emirates found it difficult in the field, as Pollard used all of eight bowlers, including himself and fellow West Indian Romario Shepherd.

MOST EXPENSIVE

Shepherd was the most expensive in the innings, conceding 35 runs from his three overs. Pollard sent down one over of seam, which cost 11 runs.

The MI Emirates' chase never found its rhythm, as the Vipers' bowling attack was relentless from the first over.

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 impressive Naseem Shah, who set the tone with a fiery spell of pace.

The Pakistani seamer ended up claiming three wickets for just 18 runs. Spinner Usman Tariq then tightened the screws in the crucial middle phase, conceding a mere 20 runs for his two wickets.

FINAL FLOURISH

The final flourish came from left-arm seamer David Payne, who delivered a decisive, three-wicket over to shatter the Emirates' lower order, finishing with figures of three for 42. The Emirates innings folded for 136 in 18.3 overs, as their resistance was comprehensively broken.

Pollard hit two fours in his run-a-ball 28, while Shepherd's torrid match continued after he made just one run after facing two balls. Shakib Al Hasan was the innings' top scorer with 36.

For the Vipers, this was a triumph of perseverance. Having fallen at the final hurdle in the previous two editions, they entered this season as the most consistent side and capped off the tournament with the coveted title. - CMC