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Sharjah Warriors showcased a dominant performance, securing a comfortable nine-wicket triumph against Dubai Capitals in the fourteenth encounter of the International League T20 (ILT20) 2024 on Monday (January 29).
Sharjah Warriors’ dominant bowling display against Dubai Capitals
In a superb bowling display, the Warriors restricted the Capitals to a mere 104 runs in 18.2 overs. The Capitals, struggling from the early loss of both openers, failed to recover, and their innings never gained momentum. Wickets fell at regular intervals, with only Sikandar Raza (22) and Roelof van der Merwe (20) crossing the 20 runs mark. The Capitals eventually folded at 104 runs in the 19th over. In the bowling department for the Warriors, Mahesh Theekshana played a pivotal role on the slow pitch, finishing with figures of 4/20 in his four overs. Daniel Sams contributed with 3/28 in his spell.
A glimpse of brilliance amid Capitals’ batting struggles
Despite the overall batting struggles, Raza provided a moment of brilliance by launching a delivery bowled by Sams straight outside the Sharjah Stadium. Facing a challenging situation with no recognized batters left, Raza went on an aggressive onslaught, managing to propel his team’s score above the 100 runs mark as they were at 85/8.
Sikandar Raza’s superhuman strike
In the second delivery of the 18th over bowled by Sams, he unleashed a sharply pitched, short delivery. Raza, anticipating the length in advance, skillfully created room for himself. With impeccable judgment, he positioned himself right underneath the ball and executed a powerful strike, propelling it with an intensity that seemed almost superhuman. The result was a resounding whack that sent the ball soaring over the deep mid-wicket boundary, ultimately clearing the stadium confines in a breathtaking display of skill and power.
Here’s the video:
Sikandar Raza hitting 95m sixes for Dubai Capitals as easy as 1,2,3🔥🇿🇼 pic.twitter.com/L6JZOdPvAd
— Adam Theo🇿🇼🏏 (@AdamTheofilatos) January 29, 2024
Also WATCH: Colin Munro presents testimony of sportsmanship; allows Martin Guptill to bat despite run out – ILT20 2024
Warriors soar to victory
In response, the Warriors had a strong start with openers Niroshan Dickwella (37) and Johnson Charles (43*) forging a 70 runs partnership in less than nine overs. The chase became a straightforward task for the Warriors, with Charles remaining unbeaten till the end, and Joe Denly adding 23*. The Warriors comfortably reached the target in the 14th over with nine wickets in hand.
Points table shuffle in ILT20 standings
This victory propelled the Warriors from the fifth to the second position in the points table, accumulating six points from three wins out of five matches. On the other hand, the Capitals slipped from the second to the fourth position after this loss, securing two wins in five outings.
