Aiming for the blockhole, can't connect properly and the ball dies down towards keeper! Blessing Muzarabani holds his nerve and Giants snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. A fabulous comeback from Muzarabani after bowling that no-ball; he maintained his composure and nailed those yorkers. This will be a game etched in memory, it was filled with intense drama and so many twists and turns! In the end, it's Gulf Giants who edge out Knight Riders!
Giants vs KnightRiders, 28th Match at Dubai, ILT20, Feb 10 2024 - Match Result
It was Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' game to lose! They botched up this chase big time and those timely wickets from Chris Jordan sent the alarm bells ringing. Who would have envisaged that after Jason Roy and Joe Clarke's onslaught, Giants would manage to sneak back into the game? The match was even-steven in the middle overs as Giants kept coming back into the game with wickets and the equation became an uphill battle in the end as Jordan nailed his yorkers, leaving 10 runs for Muzarabani to defend; he didn't let down his team and kept his cool in the tense moments. What a game of cricket, one for the memory vault. The reigning champions Giants finish in the top two and will lock horns with MI Emirates in the first qualifier.
Giants engineered a superb comeback to snatch this victory here. A gripping contest, and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did bringing it to you. The second match of the doubleheader between MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals is just about to get underway! You can follow it here. This is Rvel Zahid signing off. Cheers
We had a good powerplay. We were on course to win the game, losing wickets in cluster is where we lost it. The spinners did a good job. Ali has been bowling well at the backend throughout the tournament. I think we have done well; we have won five games, we still have momentum with us. We'll have to win three games now, says Knight Riders' captain Sunil Narine
We showed great amount of chracter to get the job done. Told him (Muzarabani) yorker is the right option. Just making sure he was 100% committed...two extremely young leg-spinners; they are contributing every game which is huge, they are impacting in games for us which is amazing. We just had to find extra bit of form, there's no doubts in the quality, always had belief in the group. It's been a great turnaround. We knew the importance of this game to give us an extra chance, says Gulf Giants captain James Vince
Jamie Overton, Player of the Match: 20-20 cricket is hard. It's just trying to be unpredictable with what you are going to bowl. Felt wicket was slower, sometimes it skids through, sometimes it stopped. You are gonna get hit every now and then, but gotta keep backing up yourselves. The two spinners have been phenomenal, taking crucial wickets.
Drama continues. Over the wicket, nails a pinpoint accurate yorker and he forces it down to long-on and can't make it in time for the second run, fielder hits the bull's eye and the ninth wicket is down!
Rams the yorker tailing in at off from round the wicket, manages to connect and squirts it away towards deep third, 6 from 2
Pitched up attacking his pads, tries to play swivel pull through the leg side but can't connect, sneaks a bye anyway
Saw him shimming down leg and followed him, well followed him too much and sprays a wide outside leg stump oh, and it's a double-whammy, it's a front-foot no-ball. What an ill-timed no ball! That's a cardinal sin
10 off 5! Round the wicket, on a length and swerving in at middle and off, warily tapped between mid-off and cover, scurries through a run. Will there be a super over?
No, Muzarabani you have to be on top of your game! Dishes out a full-bunger, tugged away to backward square, close to being adjudged no ball
Oh, nearly another one! What an exhilarating dramatic over that have brought everyone on the edge of their seats, an edge skews away across the line, beating his flick, towards short third who makes an acrobatic diving stop
My word, I cannot believe this! Gottim with an absolute peach Chris Jordan rises to the occasion and lifts the entire up! That is SCREAMER! Length ball with bit of reverse I reckon and through his massive swish across the line, disturbs the furniture and ADKR have all the right to feel nervous now. Serious pace and accuracy getting better of him!
Whoa! It's all happening out there! Flicks this toe-crusher to Muzarabani at square leg and he was keen on taking the second, throw was pinpoint accurate, keeper whipped off the bails and that little bit of greediness results in his demise! OUT on the big screen and David Willey has to go!
Wide inswinging yorker, thrashed away straight to deep backward point, fielder stationed exactly for that shot
On the pads and biffed out to Hetmyer at square of midwicket, it's drifting away quickly from Giants
Pitched up and gets it to tail in at middle, hits it with some oomph into the real estate at deep midwicket and thought about a second but then against it, fielder pings a sharp throw!
Right then can Chris Jordan do something special here? He got a wicket in the last over, will need a couple in this over too
Spliced just over Muzarabani at third man for a four! That boundary will calm the nerves in Knight Riders' room. What a timely boundary to shift the momentum. Just a bit too short and lots of breathing space to free his arms, goes hard at it and the risk pays off, thick edge skews away!
Pitched up on middle, not quite in the blockhole on this occasion, mows it downtown bisecting long-on and long-off, Jordan with a tumbling save, brilliant energy in the outfield!
My goodness! Takes some skill to hold your nerve and dart in those yorkers with relentless accuracy, a yorker that follows him like a spy, carved away towards point across the angle
blockhole stuff, gets down low and opens the face of the bat, steered away to third man for a run
Getting it right into the blockhole, whipped away towards deep midwicket, Hetmyer not fast enough to get to the ball and that gave them a second run opportunity but they don't take any risk
Ramkumar Gautam: "166/3 Was something sorry looking Scorecard for GG , in the sense either some more wickets have fallen down or more Runs. 166/8 or 189/3 Is only justifiable."
Over the wicket, back of a length outside off, hacks it away off the backfoot to deep point, more force than grace in that shot
Overton into the attack, this is a good move!
Slow back of a length curving outside off, pulled away across the line into the empty spaces at midwicket, Giants got to believe in themselves, one more wicket and pressure will be on Knight Riders, could be anybody's game
1W | ||||
1W |
1W |
1W | ||||
1W | ||||
Dubai International Cricket Stadium | |
Toss | Gulf Giants, elected to bat first |
Series | |
Season | 2023/24 |
Player Of The Match | |
Hours of play (local time) | 14.30 start, First Session 14.30-16.00, Interval 16.00-16.20, Second Session 16.20-17.50 |
Match days | 10 February 2024 - daynight (20-over match) |
GG Player Replacement | Impact player: in, out (1st innings, 19.6 ov) |
ADKR Player Replacement | Impact player: in, out (1st innings, 19.6 ov) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee | |
Points | Gulf Giants 2, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 0 |
Over 20 • ADKR 163/9