one ball. One ball is all it takes for Pooran to power the MI Emirates to a remarkable win! Half-tracker outside off and Pooran will smash that for six even in his sleep. He winds up and clatters it over deep mid wicket to seal the deal. He is all smiles and embraces Shepherd soon after cracking that out of the middle of the bat. And as they say, it is not about how you start, but about how you finish!
Giants vs MI Emirates, 26th Match at Dubai, ILT20, Jan 31 2025 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
26th Match (N), Dubai (DICS), January 31, 2025, International League T20
173/6
(19.1/20 ov, T:174) 174/5
MI Emirates won by 5 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)
New
MIE
Full commentary
10:25pm That will be all from us for tonight. We have loads of cricket lined up tomorrow, and you can catch all the action on ESPNcricinfo. Until next time, this is goodbye and goodnight from all of us!
Nicholas Pooran, the MI Emirates captain is also the Player of the Match: (On his innings and his start) I have been playing T20 cricket for a long while. Understanding my ability as a batter, trying to understand what the opposition is trying to do, had to be there at the end (for the team). I am more experienced now, and it is all about understanding the scoreboard and understand what is required. The key is all about trusting yourself. Applying pressure when required and soaking up the pressure when required. It worked out nicely for us. I hope Polly (Pollard) is home and is watching this innings, unfortunately he could not be here. In T20 tournaments, you need to get momentum at the right time. We are heading in that direction, we want to continue to get better. There are mistakes we are making and that is something we want to rectify. The group has been challenged, everyone is coming together nicely. (On captaining, keeping and being a key batter) I have been doing this for a while and if this is required from me, this is something I want to embrace. I have guys supporting me and we have a young group as well. It is all about helping each other grow. We are getting an opportunity to represent a really good franchise.
James Vince, Gulf Giants captain: We did not feel it was that straightforward. There was a bit of turn and a bit of grip when the pace was taken off. Myself dropping that catch and giving one of the best players in the world a couple of chances…he (Pooran) is capable of doing that. Ultimately, that is what cost us. (Mood in the camp) We have not had the time to look at the table. We felt today and tomorrow, two big games, we had to win. Tonight did not go our way and we can hopefully come back tomorrow and have a good crack at it.
anish: "Pooran played like in video games in the last 5 overs. Unbelievable!"
10:05pm Well, what was that?! Pooran was struggling. He was huffing and puffing. He only had 8 off 21. But then, in a flash, he flicked a switch. Not just a switch, he might as well have changed the entire switch-board. The big shots came out and the timing that had deserted him previously, returned with a vengeance. He finished with a towering six and with an unbeaten 37-ball 58 that well and truly knocked the stuffing out of the Giants.
The Giants, meanwhile, do not know what has hit them. They were blitzed at the end and were shell-shocked for pretty much the entire duration of that onslaught. Prior to that, their spinners and Muzarabani had kept things tight to nudge ahead in the contest. But when Pooran, Jacobs and Shepherd came after them at the death, Curran and Jordan had no answers whatsoever.
19.1
6
Jordan to Pooran, SIX runs
6 off 6. Run-a-ball. Surely MI Emirates will not botch this chase from here? Conversely, can Jordan produce some magic to pull this one out of the bag for the Giants?
end of over 1919 runs
MIE: 168/5CRR: 8.84 • RRR: 6.00 • Need 6 runs from 6b
Romario Shepherd23 (9b 2x4 1x6)
Nicholas Pooran52 (36b 6x4 2x6)
Mark Adair 3-0-30-0
Tom Curran 3-0-37-0
18.6
6
Adair to Shepherd, SIX runs
Shepherd muscles it into the stands! Another massive shot under pressure! Slot ball outside off and to a batter that has as much power as Shepherd, that is always asking for trouble. He does not middle this by any stretch but his entire body went into this stroke, meaning he muscled it over the long off fence. Quite comfortably at that!
12 off 7. Another boundary here will be a body blow to the Giants
18.5
2
Adair to Shepherd, 2 runs
fullish outside off. Shepherd sits deep in his crease and smashes it back past the bowler. Back for a brace. Adair, in fact, did well to get out of the way there
18.5
1w
Adair to Shepherd, 1 wide
full and extremely wide outside off. Shepherd fails to catch up with it and the umpire has no qualms in calling it a wide
18.4
1lb
Adair to Pooran, 1 leg bye
back of a length on middle and off. Pooran has a wild swing across the line and the ball pings off his body behind point. Might have been a cutter which Pooran was early on
18.3
1
Adair to Shepherd, 1 run
very full and very wide outside off. Shepherd reaches out for it and digs it out towards sweeper cover
Around the wicket now
18.2
4
Adair to Shepherd, FOUR runs
back to back boundaries! Misses the yorker outside off and ends up bowling a low full toss. Shepherd uses his long levers to get under it and bang it over the bowler's head!
18.1
4
Adair to Shepherd, FOUR runs
smart, smart batting! Adair goes for the wide yorker and Shepherd telegraphs it. He lets the ball arrive and then jams down on it very late, squeezing it to short third's left!
25 needed off 12. Adair has the ball. This suddenly feels like MIE's game to lose
end of over 1812 runs
MIE: 149/5CRR: 8.27 • RRR: 12.50 • Need 25 runs from 12b
Romario Shepherd6 (4b)
Nicholas Pooran52 (35b 6x4 2x6)
Tom Curran 3-0-37-0
Chris Jordan 2-0-30-1
17.6
1
Tom Curran to Shepherd, 1 run
slower short ball outside off. Shepherd waits for it and pulls it towards deep backward square leg
17.5
1
Tom Curran to Pooran, 1 run
low full toss wide outside off. Pooran opens his bat face and glides it towards deep backward point
17.4
3
Tom Curran to Shepherd, 3 runs
low full toss on the pads. Shepherd flicks it towards deep square leg, who ends up misfielding and concedes a couple of extra runs
17.3
1
Tom Curran to Pooran, 1 run
very full outside off. Pooran shapes for the scoop but cannot get under it at all. Paddles it towards short fine leg
17.3
1w
Tom Curran to Pooran, 1 wide
full and wide outside off. Pooran swishes and misses. Called a wide because it was well beyond the tramlines
17.2
4
Tom Curran to Pooran, FOUR runs
what timing, and what placement! Very full on the pads and Pooran is all over it like a cheap suit. Snaps his wrists into action and clips it through square leg. Brings up his fifty too - off 33 balls!
36 off 17 now. Very much within Pooran's reach
17.1
1
Tom Curran to Shepherd, 1 run
slower ball on a full length outside off. Driven out to sweeper cover
end of over 1717 runs • 1 wicket
MIE: 137/5CRR: 8.05 • RRR: 12.33 • Need 37 runs from 18b
Nicholas Pooran46 (32b 5x4 2x6)
Romario Shepherd1 (1b)
Chris Jordan 2-0-30-1
Tom Curran 2-0-25-0
16.6
2
Jordan to Pooran, 2 runs
slower short ball outside off. Pooran jumps up onto his toes and tugs it towards deep mid wicket for a brace
16.5
4
Jordan to Pooran, FOUR runs
Pooran is putting Jordan to the sword! Leg-stump yorker that goes horribly wrong and slides well down leg. Pooran gets a bit of bat on it and glances it past short fine leg!
16.4
6
Jordan to Pooran, SIX runs
pick the bones out of this one too! Back of a length on middle and off, and that is right up Pooran's alley. He opens up his stance and whacks it a mile over deep mid wicket!
16.3
1
Jordan to Shepherd, 1 run
slow and short outside off. Shepherd reaches out for it and slaps it towards extra cover
Shepherd joins Pooran
16.2
W
Jordan to Jacobs, OUT
taken on the fence! Length ball bowled wider outside off. Jacobs looks to repeat the dose but this time, slices it a touch. The ball goes high up and in Erasmus' direction at deep point. He settles under it and does the rest. A decent cameo, but MI Emirates would have ideally wanted a bit more!
Bevon Jacobs c Erasmus b Jordan 18 (14b 2x4 1x6) SR: 128.57
16.1
4
Jordan to Jacobs, FOUR runs
shot! Fullish outside off and that is not great bowling again. Jacobs gets his hands through the ball and blazes it over extra cover!
54 off 24 now
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Over 20 • MIE 174/5
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