The Desert Vipers made it two wins in two matches after securing a hard-fought two-wicket win over the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Chasing 172, the Vipers reached home with two wickets and three balls to spare in a dramatic finish.

Shimron Hetmyer brought his team back into the game with an impressive 25-ball 48 after a tough start, while Khuzaima Tanveer smashed 31 off just 12 in the death overs to secure the win.

Despite the early power-hitting of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, the Vipers kept their cool. Alex Hales anchored the batting innings with a brilliant 53 off 37, including three sixes and four fours, as ADKR scored 87 runs in the first 10 overs. The Vipers bounced back in the second 10 overs, bagging five wickets and setting a target of 171.

With the bat, after a slow start that saw three wickets fall in the powerplay, Hetmyer combined with Dan Lawrence (35 off 31) in the middle overs to give their side a chance. In the final three overs, despite being eight wickets down, Tanveer's batting took his team over the line.

“It was, in many ways, a fortunate escape, but an outstanding result for us. ADKR possess a very powerful batting lineup, and I believe our bowlers performed exceptionally well throughout the innings," said Desert Vipers stand-in skipper Sam Curran.

"The dismissals of Hetmyer and Dan introduced an unexpected twist, but the team showed commendable composure in the crucial moments.”

Meanwhile, ADKR stand-in skipper Sunil Narine said:“We were 15–20 runs short. We began well in the powerplay, and that phase was crucial for us. The conditions eventually worked in their favour, and the dew made it challenging for our spinners. But at the end of the day, that's part of the game.”

Brief scores:

Desert Vipers beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by 2 wickets

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 171/6 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 53, Andre Russell 36, Qais Ahmad 2 for 29, Noor Ahmad 2 for 35)

Desert Vipers 175/8 (Shimron Hetmyer 48, Dan Lawrence 35, Ajay Kumar 3 for 21, Sunil Narine 2 for 35)

Player of the match: Shimron Hetmyer

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