Sharjah: Naseem Shah’s controlled bowling and Max Holden’s unbeaten half-century helped Desert Vipers beat Sharjah Warriors by 5 wickets in the 28th match of the ILT20 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The win left the Vipers eighth in 10 matches and guaranteed them top spot in the table with 16 points, four clear of second-placed MI Emirates, who are yet to play in their last league-level match.
Vipers skipper Sam Curran’s decision to bat first paid off as his side’s bowling unit, led by Naseem, posted a modest total of 140/7 in 20 overs.
Opener Johnson Charles anchored a 37-ball 43 with 5 fours and 2 sixes to top the score for the Warriors.
Apart from him, James Reve (22), Ryan Burl (21 not out) and Tom Koehler-Cotmore contributed significantly to the Warriors’ total, while Harmeet Singh (11) chipped in with double figures.
Despite conceding 18 runs in his debut, Naseem led the Vipers’ bowling charge with economy figures of 3/35 from his four overs. He was supported by Qais Ahmed with two wickets for 30 runs, while Kuzaima Tanveer and David Payne chipped in with a scalp each.
In reply, Holden’s unbeaten half-century saw the Vipers comfortably chasing down the target of 141 runs with 5 wickets and 3 balls to spare.
Vipers had a mixed start to the country as they lost both their openers Andries Ghose and Faqar Zaman for just nine runs in three overs.
Out to bat at number 3, Holden turned the game on its head with his calculated knock and eventually guided the Vipers to a more rewarding victory in the final over.
He top scored for the Chiefs with an unbeaten 66 off 46 balls with 10 fours including a six.
The top-order batsman received notable support from skipper Curran and Hasan Nawaz, both of whom contributed with 25 runs, while the latter remained unbeaten.
Harmeet picked the bowlers for the Warriors with 3 for 29 from his four overs, while Richard Ngarawa and Sikandar Raza could pick up a wicket each.