Dubai
\nThe Dubai Capitals defeated the Sharjah Warriorz for the first time in DP World ILT20 history, with a resounding 63-run victory at the Dubai International Stadium. A measured half-century from Sediqullah Atal (66 off 44) was complimented by a fiery finish from Mohammad Nabi (38* off 19) as the Capitals set up an unbreachable target of 181.
\nThe Warriorz were then halted by a clinical performance from the Capitals\u2019 bowling attack, including three-wicket hauls from Nabi and Waqar Salamkheil. James Rew waged a lone battle, top scoring with 47 runs for the Warriorz.
\nThe race for the three remaining playoff berths remains wide open as Dubai Capitals moved to second place with six points. Four teams are level with six points, while the Desert Vipers and the Sharjah Warriorz sit at opposite ends of the points table with 12 and four points respectively.
\nThe run chase was rocked early as Mustafizur Rahman made the first incision with the wicket of Johnson Charles before Haider Ali claimed Tom Kohler-Cadmore (15 off 12) and Tom Abell (15 off 13) to leave the Warriorz at 45\/3 in six overs.
\nSikandar Raza (21 off 14) and James Rew (47 off 38) looked to find momentum with a 39-run partnership in 27 balls before Raza fell to Waqar Salamkheil in the 11th over. While Rew managed the odd boundary, the asking rate ballooned to almost 12 an over for the final seven overs.
\nThe equation proved too steep, and wickets fell in clusters as Nabi made his presence felt with the ball as well, picking up Ethan D\u2019Souza (5 off 10), Wasim Akram (0 off 2) and Rew, to cap off a miserly spell that only conceded 23 runs.
\nSalamkheil broke through again to snap up the dangerous Dwaine Pretorius (1 off 4) and Harmeet Singh (2 off 2) to finish with 3\/22. The Warriorz eventually bundled up for 117 runs in 17 overs.
\nIn the first innings, Raza had pushed the Capitals on the back foot with the wicket of the in-form Shayan Jahangir (1 off 3) in the first over. Jordan Cox (28 off 19) departed to Taskin Ahmed but only after he worked five fluent boundaries to power the Capitals to 60\/2 by the end of the powerplay.
\nOpener Sediqullah Atal played a vital knock with minimal risk. In the middle overs, he joined Leus du Plooy (18 off 14) for a 33-run stand in 21 balls before Plooy was accounted for by Adil Rashid in the 10th over. Rovman Powell (12 off 11) was the next batter to go, off the bowling of Matheesha Pathirana.
\nAtal led a 14-run assault against Wasim Akram in the 15th, bringing up a 35-ball half-century in the process. At the 15-over mark, the Capitals were set up for a big finish at 129\/4.
\nMohammad Nabi opened fire immediately, clubbing three boundaries and three sixes to provide the flourish the Capitals needed. Meanwhile, Taskin Ahmed gave Atal a reprieve in the outfield, when the batter was on 60, but the pacer quickly redeemed himself to remove the opener in the 17th over.
\nTaskin struck again to remove Dasun Shanaka (5 off 9) in the final over, but the Capitals squeezed 12 runs to post a daunting target on a challenging surface.
\nPlayer of the Match, Mohammad Nabi said:
\n\u201cThe top order set a great platform for the middle order. I always try to practice my power hitting since I bat at number six or seven a lot. Sediqullah Atal has been on the bench for a few games, but he came back to bat really well today and Salamkheil is always picking up wickets.\u201d
\nCaptain of the Sharjah Warriorz, Sikandar Raza said:
\n\u201cWe didn\u2019t really field well to start with. We bowled well in patches. On that wicket, the score was chasable; we needed partnerships.
\nAfter winning two in a row, this loss is a setback, but we need to start peaking now to stay in the competition. Facing the table-topping Desert Vipers tomorrow will be a true test of where this team stands.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dubai The Dubai Capitals defeated the Sharjah Warriorz for the first time in DP World ILT20 history, with a resounding 63-run victory at the Dubai International Stadium. A measured half-century from Sediqullah Atal (66 off 44) was complimented by a fiery finish from Mohammad Nabi (38* off 19) as the Capitals set up an unbreachable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521239,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-521215","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n