Pooran’s brilliance guides MI Emirates to victory over Gulf Giants in ILT20

ABU DHABI: Sharjah Warriorz secured a six-wicket victory over defending champions MI Emirates in the DP World ILT20 Eliminator on Thursday, setting up a clash with Desert Vipers for a place in the final against Dubai Capitals.

A blistering cameo from Tim Seifert (40 off 20 balls) and a disciplined bowling effort, led by Tim Southee, helped the Warriorz past MI Emirates’ modest total of 146 for eight at Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The win ensures new champions will be crowned in the third season of ILT20 as both previous title holders have now been knocked out.

Chasing 147, Sharjah got off to a flying start, with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Johnson Charles racking up 23 runs in the first two overs.

Charles, who was in sublime form, struck 36 off 20 balls before falling to young UAE pacer Muhammad Rohid, who made an immediate impact with two crucial wickets in the 13th over.

Despite this setback, the Warriorz remained in control, thanks to Kohler-Cadmore’s steady knock (40 off 40) and Seifert’s late onslaught. The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter sealed the win in style, hammering 16 runs in the 19th over.

MI Emirates had earlier struggled to build momentum after losing Andre Fletcher in the opening over. Tom Banton (29) and Nicholas Pooran (42 off 19) provided some resistance, with Pooran becoming only the third batter to surpass 1,000 ILT20 runs.

However, disciplined spells from Dilshan Madushanka and Southee kept the Emirates in check, with the defending champions ultimately restricted to a below-par total.

Reflecting on the defeat, Pooran, the captain of MI Emirates, said: “We were below par; we put ourselves in a hole. It was difficult to defend on this surface where there wasn’t much assistance for the bowlers.

“Our bowlers tried very hard; credit must be given to them. They (Warriorz) took their chances. We didn’t have an answer for them. Congrats to them. You get what you deserve; we haven’t been consistent. Looking forward to next year.”

Player of the match Seifert praised his side’s efforts, and added: “(It’s) always nice to get to that winning position. Our bowlers did a great job. (There is a) big semifinal coming up. Hopefully we can make it to the final.”

LONDON: England will play Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy later this month despite calls from British politicians to boycott the match over the Taliban regime’s curtailment of women’s rights.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Thursday that the fixture would go ahead in Lahore on February 26 after consulting with the UK government, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and England players.
More than 160 British politicians had called for a boycott as female participation in sport has effectively been outlawed since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
That puts the Afghanistan cricket board at odds with ICC rules, though the men’s team are allowed to compete.
ECB chairman Richard Thompson described the situation in Afghanistan as “gender apartheid” but said the match would take place.
“We remain of the view that a coordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match,” he said.
“We have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture.”
Afghanistan have become a greater force in white-ball cricket in recent years, rising to eighth in the one-day international world rankings, just one place below England.
Both sides will also face Australia and South Africa in Group B of the 50-over tournament, which will be hosted in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates from February 19 until March 9.