That's it! Banged in short and outside off, flat-bat swat through midwicket and Gulf Giants are the inaugural winners of ILT20! That's a clinical chase!
Vipers vs Giants, Final at Dubai, ILT20, Feb 12 2023 - Match Result
Giants won by 7 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)
Fans have certainly got their money's worth. Congratulations to Gulf Giants and commiserations to Desert Vipers who end up on the losing side after an exhilarating contest. Giants' players are absolutely ecstatic and it's handshakes all around. The whole support staff, the team owners, the players, everybody is out on the field celebrating the moment.
Everyone has come to the fore in this incredible victory. Colin de Grandhomme bowled a brilliant spell upfront and kept things quiet in the powerplay. Thereon, Carlos Brathwaite was miserly in his spell, giving away just 19 runs and picking up three important wickets. Qais Ahmed then spun a web around Vipers' batters and didn't allow them to accelerate in the middle overs. Chris Jordan did what he does best by nailing his yorkers and change-up deliveries at the death and so a concerted bowling effort kept Vipers restricted to a below-par 146.
In reply, James Vince - the man in form - departed early in the piece but then Chris Lynn took the reins, anchored the chase and saw them through with an unbeaten 72-run-knock.
Defending a low score was always going to be tough and Giants did well by managing Hasaranga's threat and they kept him out exceptionally well, using the sweep shot to great effect and not giving him many wickets. Later, when Lynn started to cut loose, Tom Curran ran out of ideas and bowled a barrage of full tosses which helped Giants ease through to victory. Hetmyer came, saw and conquered. He was all guns blazing right from the word go and raced to 25 off 13 balls as Erasmus played second fiddle earlier with Lynn
Vipers were outsmarted by a team worthy of this champiosnhip.
Spare a thought for Hasaranga who read the situation perfectly and was timing the ball exquisitely well. He scored a fluent fifty to give his team a fighting chance. He has been a stellar T20 player and he proved that throughout the ILT20.
It's a fantastic feeling, the atmosphere is very comfortable and my family has been supporting me back home, we really pulled it together well, says Hetymyer
The most pleasing thing for me tonight was Hetmyer getting us through that chase, says Brathwaite
I'm so happy that we have won the finals. Pleased with the way I bowled tonight. A final is always tough. The coach and captain trusted in me and my abilities and encouraged me to give my best, says Qais Ahmad
(Brathwaite) is definitely a guy for the big occasions like this, he has done it in the past. He got on a roll tonight and wanted to really own the night and I think he exactly did just that. He capped it off with his dance. To be a part of history, no one can take it away from Gulf Giants. It has been a pleasure, says Chris Jordan
Time for awards now:
Player of the Match ($1500): Carlos Brathwaite
Smart delivery of the match ($1500): Tom Curran to Colin de Grandhomme
Biggest hit of the match ($1500): Wanindu Hasaranga's six of 90 mts.
Super 4s of the match ($1500): Chris Lynn (9 boundaries)
Buzzmaker of the match ($1500): Wanindu Hasaranga
Season awards
Smart Bowler ($15,000): Tom Curran
Biggest hit ($15,000): Colin Munro's six of 106mts
Super 4s ($15,000: Alex Hales for hitting 43 boundaries
Buzzmaker ($15,000): Alex Hales
Green Belt winner: ($15,000): Alex Hales (469 runs)
White Belt winner: ($15,000): Chris Jordan (20 wickets)
Red Belt winner: ($15,000): - Most Valuable Player - Chris Jordan
Blue Belt winner: ($15,000): - Most Valuable UAE Player - Muhammad Waseem
Black (Championship) Belt: - Adani family (award collected by Satyam Trivedi - Head - Adani Sportsline)
All the team members of the Gulf Giants are being given a gold pendant each.
James Vince, Winning Captain: It's a great feeling. Congratulations to the Desert Vipers as well but only one team can win. Taking some big wickets, Hasaranga batted well and put us under pressure but we fought back with the ball. Sticky surface but Lynny showed his class tonight. It is good for the young players to learn from the experienced family.
Colin Munro, Losing Captain: The first seven-eight overs with the bat (where they erred). They bowled really well. Credit to the Giants and they have been the form team. They beat us twice in the group stage and they were a bit better team tonight. The boys have been outstanding, couldn't have asked for a better group, they have backed me as a skipper, had some brilliant time off the field as well. I've enjoyed myself and it has been a big learning curve for me, even at the backend of my career. We really had a family feeling throughout the tournament. Credit to the groundstaff as well.
The fireworks are now underway! Lights up the Sunday sky in Dubai. The celebrations will continue till the wee hours of the morning and that's it from the first season of ILT20. Thanks to everyone who followed our coverage and for your comments throughout the action-packed season. On behalf of everyone who has been a part of the commentary and scoring team throughout the last month, I'm Rvel Zahid signing off. Take care and goodnight!
Aazir: "@aashal I agree with your point, but you need to have matchwinners and a player who scores 180 strike rate to win matches"
The dancing has already started as the players get into a huddle at the pitch for a celebratory huddle, pulled away intot the leg side, the ball got big on him, just two away from winning the ILT20
Asahel: "Just seeing cricket more and more...I realize Dhoni was so correct to always take it deep (when your team is struggling)..it becomes so much more easy...India vs Pakistan today and the final here as well"
Back of a length, zinging it back at the batter who tugs it away insolently into the vacant spaces at midwicket
He backs away and hammers an upper-cut, sails over the keepers head and away into the grass banks for four
Brilliant Hetymyer brilliant! Latches onto the looser delivery, another full toss, belted it through midwicket, superb placement but it's a brilliant effort in the field, tries his best to flick the ball inside the rope but his foot is touching the boundary skirting and it's a very close call, well it's not given a boundary
Going from bad to worse for Vipers! Cleared the front leg and mowed over midwicket, all along the carpet with so much power and fizz!
Full toss served on a plate and Hetmyer is not going to miss out! Smites it through cover and earns another boundary, 14 off 14 required. This onslaught has totally changed the complexion of the game
Fraction short and slants across off, fortune favours the brave, he swung as hard as he could and got a thick inside edge, two men inside the ring can just watch it dribble down to the boundary rope
That's a costly error! Pitched short and lands it outside leg stump, he has his hands on his head as Hetmyer loaded for a pull
Swing and a miss! Terrific delivery on a shorer length, whizzing past the edge and through to the keeper
Pitched on a length and swerwing in, flicked across the line of the ball into the leg side, this is a crucial over, Vipers need a wicket to keep their hopes alive
On a length around the line off, spanked towards midwicket and he settles for a run and will keep the strike, 24 off 18 needed
Humped! He is turning it on big time and is in a rush to get his hands on the silverware, target Wood again, picks the slow ball early and hoists it down the ground, no violence, pure timing and a treat to watch
Goes full on leg and pays the price, coruscating strokeplay continues as he absolutely leathers this one through mid-on, Curran puts in a despairing dive but couldn't flick the ball inside the rope
Dug in short, chest height bouncer, stands tall and he muscled it but it hits him high on the bat
38 off 23, attempted yorker ends up dishing out a low full toss, he swung hard at it, mid-on and mid-off inside the ring and he launched clean and high for a boundary
Down to the crunch moments now as Wood pitches it on a shorter length and Hetmyer has pummeled that away to the left of deep midwicket for a sizzling boundary, cleared his right leg and whacked it
Paul Persaud: "Watching from NY. Fantastic full day of sports. Waking up to T20 finals, massive hitting in Dubai and WI test cricket in "
Afeef: "GG have managed to avert the threat of Hasaranga, that's why they will win"
Daz: "Even with that wicket down the Giants should get over the line, comfortable"
Calin: "GG need boundaries. The presure increase."
Excellent finish from Tom Curran, scorching delivery, pitched on a hard length and it kicks and screams off the deck, he scuffs a drive back to the bowler and it's getting a bit tighter as we head into another stategic timeout
Aiming for the yorker, not that far away from the blockhole, he pushes it down the ground and long-off gets around it
Slower ball on slightly shorter length just around the line off, swiped through the line towards mid-off and they nonchalantly walk through a run
2W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
Dubai International Cricket Stadium | |
Toss | Gulf Giants, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2022/23 |
Player Of The Match | |
Series result | Gulf Giants won the 2022/23 International League T20 |
Match days | 12 February 2023 - night (20-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee |
Over 19 • GG 149/3
Giants won by 7 wickets (with 8 balls remaining)