James Vince played a fantastic innings, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd powered MI Emirates to a stunning last-over victory. Although it’s a tough defeat to take, we aim to win our last game against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

After being put in to bat first, we had a solid start thanks to Gerhard Erasmus and James Vince. They scored at a good pace, but Erasmus fell early, which brought Jordan Cox to the crease. Vince and Cox stitched together a brilliant 50-run partnership, with Vince leading the charge. Cox made 20 before losing his wicket, but Vince continued his superb batting.

Coming into this game out of form, Vince looked completely different as he played confidently and dominated the bowlers. He played some beautiful shots and appeared set for a century, but his innings came to an end at 86 off just 50 balls, which included 10 fours and 1 six. Contributions from the lower middle order helped us post a competitive total of 173 runs in 20 overs.

MI Emirates got off to a blazing start, with Muhammad Waseem smashing 26 runs off just 9 balls. However, Aayan Khan struck on the 10th ball to send Waseem back to the pavilion. We fought back strongly from that point, tightening our bowling and restricting their scoring. Aayan dismissed Tom Banton, and Blessing Muzarabani removed the dangerous Andre Fletcher. Kusal Perera was run out, putting MI Emirates under pressure.

Nicholas Pooran initially struggled to find his rhythm, and the required run rate kept climbing. However, he shifted gears brilliantly, launching a counterattack that was hard to stop. Pooran remained unbeaten on 58 off 37 balls, guiding MI Emirates to victory. Romario Shepherd played a crucial role too, smashing 23 runs off just 9 balls to finish the chase.

Blessing Muzarabani and Aayan Khan were outstanding with the ball. Muzarabani finished with 1 for 17 from his four overs, and Aayan took 2 for 9 in his two overs, showcasing excellent control.

Despite this loss, we have one more game left and we will look to be at our best to win. It hasn’t been the best season for us, but we are determined to put smiles on the faces of our fans.