The Desert Vipers showcased an outstanding performance to secure their fifth consecutive victory in the DP World ILT20 Season 4, defeating the Gulf Giants by eight wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Fueled by an exceptional powerplay from Khuzaima Tanveer, who took four wickets, the unbeaten 123-run stand between Sam Curran and Max Holden easily surpassed the Gulf Giants’ target.
Tanveer’s figures of 4/10 in the first innings marked the best by a UAE bowler in the history of DP World ILT20, and he became the first to take four wickets in a powerplay. His early strike set the tone, limiting the Giants to 157/7 in 20 overs. Curran’s unbeaten 67 from 43 balls, featuring five fours and three sixes, alongside Holden’s 64 from 41 balls, led the chase comfortably. This marked the Vipers’ sixth straight victory against the Giants.
“Tanveer has been phenomenal for us all season. He excelled last year too, winning games with his batting, and tonight he was superb with the ball,” commented Desert Vipers captain Lockie Ferguson.
“He’s been playing a lot lately, his rhythm is perfect, and his bowling is top-notch. It was wonderful to see Max and Sam form a substantial partnership.”
Gulf Giants captain James Vince also praised Tanveer.
“He bowled remarkably well, full credit to him. We’ll review what we could have done differently, but we were under pressure from the start,” Vince said.
“Reaching 157 was a decent recovery… This was the first match of the tournament where we were outplayed from the beginning. We were simply outclassed today, although the dew was a factor.”
Brief scores
Desert Vipers defeated Gulf Giants by eight wickets.
Gulf Giants 157/7 in 20 overs (Liam Dawson 38 not out, Asif Khan 36 not out, Kyle Mayers 30, Khuzaima Tanveer 4 for 10, Noor Ahmad 2 for 22)
Desert Vipers 158/2 in 16.5 overs (Sam Curran 67 not out, Max Holden 64 not out, Chris Wood 1 for 27)
Player of the match: Khuzaima Tanveer
