What a thrilling start to Season 3 of the DP World ILT20! Our first match saw an incredible contest that went down to the wire. Despite a valiant effort from our Giants, the Sharjah Warriorz edged past us, thanks to some fine batting from Tom Kohler-Cadmore. It was a match filled with excitement, and we are proud of the fight our team put up. We look forward to seeing more of this determination in the upcoming games.

A Solid Start with the Bat

After being asked to bat first, we had a shaky start. Our skipper, James Vince, fell early, and Adam Lyth followed soon after, managing just 11 runs. But the duo of Rehan Ahmed and Jordan Cox turned things around with a brilliant partnership. Rehan was in top form, smashing 5 fours and 2 sixes in a fantastic 46-run knock. Cox played some good shots too, helping steady the innings before we lost a few quick wickets in the middle overs.

Shimron Hetmyer stepped up when we needed him most. His crucial 36 runs off just 23 balls put us back on track. Towards the end, Mark Adair’s quickfire 20 runs from 10 balls and Saghir Khan’s 11 off 4 balls gave us a strong finish, setting a target of 174 runs in 20 overs.

Fighting with the Ball

Our bowlers gave us a dream start in the second innings. Daniel Worrall dismissed the dangerous Johnson Charles in the very first over, and Mark Adair sent Jason Roy back for a duck. This left Sharjah struggling at 14/2.

However, Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Rohan Mustafa stitched together a game-changing 105-run partnership, putting Sharjah in control. Blessing Muzarabani brought us back into the game by dismissing Mustafa for 45. We then grabbed two quick wickets, putting Sharjah on the back foot. At one stage, they were reeling at 148 for 7 and it looked like we will take the game but it was not to be. Kohler-Cadmore had other plans as he showed his class, keeping his composure and guiding Sharjah to victory in the final over.

Standout Performances and What’s Next

Mark Adair and Blessing Muzarabani were our standout bowlers, each picking up two wickets. Aayan Afzal Khan bowled an excellent final over under pressure but couldn’t turn the game our way.

It was a great team effort, and the tournament still has a long way to go. Our next match is against the Desert Vipers on Tuesday, and we’re eager to grab our first win. Let’s back the Giants!