It was an unforgettable bowling display that led our Gulf Giants to victory against the Dubai Capitals in a low-scoring game in Dubai. Despite a challenging start in the first innings, our exceptional bowling and fielding helped us clinch the win. With two consecutive victories, we are now pushing for a spot in the Playoffs and feel confident about our chances.

In the first innings, we struggled early on, losing four wickets quickly. However, our skipper James Vince and Shimron Hetmyer steadied the ship with a brilliant 51-run partnership before Vince got out. Hetmyer played a crucial role with his 34 runs, but we kept losing wickets regularly, and it seemed like we might fall short of a competitive total. Birthday boy Dominic Drakes then turned the tide with a quickfire 24 runs off just 12 balls, helping us reach a total of 126. Olly Stone was the standout bowler for the Capitals, taking 4 wickets for just 14 runs.

Initially, our total did not seem enough, but our bowlers stepped up magnificently in the second innings. Overton dismissed David Warner early and Rahmanullah Gurbaz was soon dismissed by Blessing Muzarabani. Chris Jordan and Gerhard Erasmus then struck quickly, removing Sam Billings and Max Holden. A brilliant fielding effort by James Vince resulted in Ben Dunk's run-out, and our UAE youngsters, Aayan Khan and Zuhaib Zubair, showcased their talent with excellent performances. Aayan once again struck with a wicket off his first ball and finished with 2 wickets. Despite Dasun Shanaka's efforts for the Capitals towards the end, they fell short of the target.

It was an outstanding bowling performance from our Giants, who were backed up by our fielders who took every catch and affected two run-outs. This performance has boosted our confidence, and we aim to carry this momentum forward. Our next match is against MI Emirates on February 8th.