ILT20 2023, Desert Vipers vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Match Winner, Player Of The Match, Award Winners

Hasaranga,
playing
his
first
match,
bagged
three
wickets
for
18
runs,
was
backed
by
Gus
Atkinson
(2
for
35),
to
restrict
Abu
Dhabi
Knight
Riders
to
133
for
8
in
20
overs.

Abu
Dhabi
opener
Brandon
Kings’
57
off
44
balls
with
five
boundaries
and
two
sixes
went
in
vain.
Chasing
the
target,
Desert
Vipers’ opener
Hales,
played
yet
another
super
knock
of
64
off
47
balls
with
seven
boundaries
and
a
six.

Sam
Billings
chipped
in
with
an
unbeaten
35.
Hales
and
Billings
put
on
a
74
runs
partnership
for
the
third
wicket,
and
Abu
Dhabi
Knight
Riders
crashed
to
their
third
successive
defeat.

Desert
Vipers
had
won
the
toss
and
elected
to
bowl.
Abu
Dhabi
opener
Kennar
Lewis
fell
to
the
first
ball
of
the
second
over
from
Atkinson,
flicking
across
the
line,
and
the
leading
edge
soaring
high
into
the
hands
of
wicketkeeper
Billings
for
1.

In
the
third
over,
Sheldon
Cottrell
also
had
Dhananjaya
De
Silva
top
edge
to
Billings
for
5.
Colin
Ingram
and
opener
Brandon
King
took
the
score
to
36
for
2
in
the
first
five
overs.

The
first
six
of
the
match
came
in
the
sixth
over
when
King
slashed
Tom
Curran
over
backward
point.
At
the
score
of
54,
Abu
Dhabi
lost
their
third
wicket
when
UAE’s
Rohan
Mustafa
had
Colin
Ingram
hit
high
into
the
hands
of
Curran
at
long-off
for
15.

Charith
Asalanka
hit
Ben
Howell
for
a
six
over
deep
mid-wicket
and
by
the
half
way
mark,
Abu
Dhabi
were
71
for
3.
King
also
smashed
Hasaranga,
playing
his
first
match,
to
deep
mid-wicket
for
a
six
and
scored
two
consecutive
boundaries
off
Howell
in
the
12th
over.

The
score
went
past
the
100-run
mark
in
the
13th
over.
In
the
14th
over,
Hasaranga
removed
Asalanka,
caught
by
Mustafa
at
the
mid-wicket
boundary
for
26,
and
with
the
very
next
ball
he
had
Andre
Russell
caught
by
Curran
at
long
on.

With
half
the
side
back
in
the
dug-out
for
103
in
13.4
overs,
skipper
Sunil
Narine
walked
in.
He
lasted
just
six
balls
hitting
Hasaranga
high
to
Alex
Hales
at
long-on
for
3.
Hasaranga
produced
a
wicket-maiden
too
while
choking
the
run
flow.

King
reached
his
half
century
in
39
balls.
Akeal
Hosein
hit
the
fourth
six
of
the
match
over
long-on
off
Atkinson.
Off
the
first
ball
of
the
last
over,
Atkinson
clean
bowled
King
for
57.

In
the
final
five
overs,
Abu
Dhabi
could
muster
only
26
runs
and
lost
three
wickets
to
post
a
total
of
133
for
8
in
20
overs.
Incidentally,
this
was
their
highest
score
in
the
three
matches
after
having
been
able
to
post
only
114
runs
in
each
of
their
first
two
games.

Desert
Vipers’ strong
batting
line
up
had
to
score
at
a
run
rate
of
only
6.65.
UAE’s
Rohan
Mustafa
opened
with
Hales,
the
hero
of
their
first
match
win,
and
who
had
scored
an
unbeaten
knock
of
83
against
Sharjah
Warriors
in
the
last
match.

Lahiru
Kumara
was
hit
over
the
point
for
a
boundary
by
Mustafa
while
Hales
pulled
Sabir
Rao
for
another
boundary.

Hales
also
lifted
Kumara
for
a
six
over
long-off
while
Mustafa
smashed
Kumara
for
a
boundary
through
the
covers
and
another
one
through
mid-on.
The
pair
put
39
runs
in
3.3
overs
before
Mustafa
top-edged
Hosein
to
Kumara
at
short
leg
for
23.

Skipper
Colin
Munro
who
had
got
out
for
a
duck
in
the
first
match,
drove
Russell
into
the
hands
of
Dhananjaya
for
1.

Billings
joined
Hales
and
this
pair
which
had
put
on
a
128
runs
partnership
in
their
last
match,
were
able
to
steer
their
team
smoothly
to
a
commanding
position
in
this
match.

At
the
half
way
mark,
Desert
Vipers
needed
only
59
runs
more.
Hales
reached
his
second
successive
half
century
in
36
balls.

When
Desert
Vipers
needed
18
more
runs,
Narine
clean
bowled
Hales
for
64.
Billings,
through
his
unbeaten
35,
ensured
the
win
with
26
balls
to
spare.

Speaking
about
his
performance,
Desert
Vipers’
leg-spinner
Wanindu
Hasaranga
said,
“I
played
in
the
ICC
T20
World
Cup
2021
and
the
Asia
Cup
2022,
so
I
know
how
to
bowl
in
these
conditions.
We
have
a
very
balanced
side
and
we
are
looking
to
win
every
game.”

Meanwhile,
Abu
Dhabi
Knight
Riders’
head
coach
expressed,
“I
thought,
we
were
well
placed
to
get
165-170
at
one
point
during
our
innings.
But
it’s
disappointing
to
be
at
the
wrong
end
of
the
result.
After
a
slow
start,
we’re
hoping
that
we
attain
momentum
at
the
right
time
and
finish
strong.”

Desert
Vipers
vs
Abu
Dhabi
Knight
Riders
Brief
scores

Desert
Vipers
bt
Abu
Dhabi
Knight
Riders
by
7
wkts.

Abu
Dhabi
Knight
Riders
133
for
8
in
20
overs
(Brandon
King
57,
Charith
Asalanka
26,
Gus
Atkinson
2
for
35,
Wanindu
Hasaranga
3
for
18)

Desert
Vipers
135
for
3
in
15.4
overs
(Rohan
Mustafa
23,
Alex
Hales
64,
Sam
Billings
35n.o).

Desert
Vipers
vs
Abu
Dhabi
Knight
Riders
Award
Winners

Player
of
Match
($1500):
Wanindu
Hasaranga

DP
World
Smart
delivery
of
the
day
($1500):
Rohan
Mustafa
to
Colin
Ingram

Fairplay
News
biggest
hit
of
the
match
($1500):
Alex
Hales’
six
of
83
mts

Skytech.Net
Super
4s
of
the
match
($1500):
Alex
Hales
(seven
boundaries)

Sportsbuzz
Buzzmaker
of
the
match
($1500):
Alex
Hales
for
scoring
100
fantasy
points

White
Belt
Holder:
Imran
Tahir

Green
Belt
Holder:
James
Vince