ADKR 176/9 in 20 Overs [Michael Pepper 57(35), Joe Clark 24(18); Aayan Khan 4/16 in 4 Overs] beat GG 139/8 [Ibrahim Zadran 24(22); Ibrar Ahmed 2/27 in 4 Overs, Jason Holder 2/25 in 4 Overs] by 37 runs
With a quick turnaround time after their previous game, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders took on the Gulf Giants at the magnificent Dubai International Stadium. Despite putting in strong performances, ADKR couldn’t get over the line against SW the other night. With the fire inside of them to make a strong comeback, the Knight Riders took to the field with determination and hunger to pick up the two important points. Both the teams looked forward to having an incredible game and aimed to get the win in their bag. The fans were elated and looked forward to supporting their Knights eagerly.
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Once again, ADKR were put into bat first as Andries Gous who was playing his first game of the season walked to the centre alongside Kyle Mayers. Both openers started off in blazing fashion and attacked the GG bowlers with shots all around the park. The duo put up an exciting partnership of 39 off just 3.4 overs. Mayers departed soon after the quickfire start and so did Gous. But the men in form Joe Clarke & Michael Pepper, continued the flow of runs and kept putting the pressure back onto the bowlers. An exciting 52-run partnership saw the Knight Riders move briskly towards a big total. However, the wicket of Joe Clarke stopped ADKR in their tracks as his wicket not only broke the partnership but also triggered a collapse. Amidst all the pressure, Michael Pepper held one end amazingly well and got to his fifty but got out soon after. Low order contributions from Jason Holder & David Willey helped ADKR reach a fighting total of 175. It was up to the bowlers now to restrict the GG batters and pick up the win for the team.
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The defence of the total started superbly for ADKR as David Willey struck in the first over yet again. Willey set the tone for the bowlers as ADKR looked to dominate the proceedings and put as much pressure on the GG batters as they could. The debutant Ibrar Ahmed put on a show in the powerplay as he knocked over the opposition captain James Vince with a beautiful delivery. The Giants kept on losing wickets at regular intervals, as ADKR held a firm grip over the proceedings. Every bowling change done by Skipper Narine paid dividends as the Giants stuttered to 96/6 at one point. Throughout the second innings, ADKR had the stranglehold of the game and never let it slip away from them. Almost all the bowlers got a wicket each and kept things tight right till the end as ADKR clinched a famous victory by runs. This win will fill the Knight Riders with confidence and they will aim to keep rolling with the wins in the upcoming games. Overall, the night saw an excellent all-round game from ADKR to seal the victory and pick-up 2 important points.
