ILT20: MI Emirates Outplay Abu Dhabi Knight Riders

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

MI Emirates returned to winning ways after securing a seven-wicket win over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The win took the side to third on the points table with four points to their name, having won two of their four matches in the DP World ILT20 Season 4.

It was a comprehensive performance with both bat and ball by the MI Emirates, who rode on Fazalhaq Farooqi's 4 for 14 and Kamindu Mendis' three wickets in the first innings to bowl them out for 122. Chasing a meagre total, Muhammad Waseem's quickfire 27 runs off 12 balls, and then Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 49 off 38 balls, including seven sixes, was enough to take MI Emirates over the line.

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“We needed those points. Of course, we didn't expect 122, but restricting them to as little as possible was the aim," said MI Emirates skipper Kieron Pollard.

"I thought the guys rebounded pretty well. Last game, we bowled well, too, but we didn't bat well. Today was a professional effort from everyone. All these things count for nothing if you don't play good cricket on the day. For us, it is about reminding the guys of what's important, which is to play cricket consistently and play well.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders skipper Jason Holder rued the team's poor batting performance.

“We're still trying to figure things out. 122 was never going to be enough, especially once the dew made batting easier," Holder said.

"Many of our guys got starts but didn't carry on, and we never built a partnership. Execution has been our biggest issue - we've lacked consistency. We began the tournament well with a big score, but since then we haven't adapted to the conditions.”

Mendis was named man-of-the-match for his three-wicket haul.

"The pitch was a bit slow, so I wanted to land the ball in the right areas and mix up the pace as well," Mendis said.

"When Pollard said, 'Be ready,' I was ready. I thought if I kept the ball in good areas, the wicket would help."

Brief scores:

MI Emirates beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by seven wickets

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 122 in 19.3 overs (Alishan Sharafu 38, Sunil Narine 26, Fazalhaq Farooqi 4 for 14, Kamindu Mendis 3 for 21)

MI Emirates 123/3 in 13.5 overs (Jonny Bairstow 49*, Tom Banton 29, Muhammad Waseem 27, Jason Holder 1 for 11, Ajay Kumar 1 for 30)

Player of the match: Kamindu Mendis

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