The Defending Champions Gulf Giants have made a stellar return, kicking off the second season of ILT20 with a triumphant victory against the Sharjah Warriors. It is a proud moment for our Giants as they set the tone for the season with an impressive performance.

The game began with the Warriors winning the toss and opting to bowl first. We could not have asked for a better start, thanks to Jamie Smith's stellar debut in ILT20. He smashed the ball all around, scoring a quickfire 42 in just 18 balls. Our skipper, James Vince played a crucial role with a brisk 45 off 35 balls, and Jordan Cox, after a slow start, showcased his prowess with scintillating shots, contributing 32 to the total. Just when it seemed we might lose our way, Usman Khan played a brilliant cameo, blasting 32 off 18 balls, pushing our score to an excellent 198.

Defending our total posed a challenge as the Sharjah Warriors' openers, Johnson Charles and Martin Guptill, got off to a strong start with a partnership of 93 runs in 10.3 overs. However, Jamie Overton had other plans, dismissing Guptill and then the well-set Charles for a solid 57. After a quickfire 19 from Warriors' skipper Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Overton struck again. Chris Jordan contributed with a couple of wickets, and from there, we never looked back.

Overton finished with an impressive 3 wickets for 29 runs, while Chris Jordan secured 2 wickets for 35. Richard Gleeson and Dominic Drakes each grabbed a wicket, sealing our victory by 31 runs.

This perfect start sets the stage for our next game against MI Emirates in Abu Dhabi, and we are eager to carry this winning momentum forward.