Gulf Giants claimed their first victory of the ILT20 Season 3 with a six-wicket triumph over Dubai Capitals at Sharjah on Saturday. A match-winning partnership between Gerhard Erasmus and Shimron Hetmyer, who added 80 runs in just 44 deliveries, sealed the chase of 166 with 11 balls to spare.
Reflecting on the much-needed win after a poor start to their campaign, Erasmus said, “Yeah, definitely. Obviously, we were raring to get our first win, having lost the first two. But if you know the quality of [Shimron] Hetmyer and [Jordan] Cox are around you, you probably have a little bit more time. Seeing that the wicket played really well, I tried to hold that chase together.”
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The Giants’ bowling unit, led by Aayan Afzal Khan and Mark Adair, who each picked up two wickets, restricted the Dubai Capitals to 165/7. Erasmus lauded the collective effort. “I think we’ve come together and just created a little bit more positive energy before this game, and that went a long way into expressing our skill.”
Erasmus also praised the young UAE bowler Aayan Khan, who returned figures of 2 for 12 in his three overs. “He’s been a canny operator for Gulf Giants. Now in his third season, he’s like my little brother in the international scene. He’s going from strength to strength, and hopefully his skills keep on showing on the international stage as well.”
The small boundaries at Sharjah proved fruitful for the batters, with several sixes flying out of the stadium. Erasmus shared his connection to the venue, saying, “I have very special memories with my Namibian side here during the World Cup, so I always love coming back. The boys, especially the batters, really enjoy the ball flying around. The road down here was in danger again today.”
Meanwhile, Dubai Capitals batter Ben Dunk reflected on their shortcomings. “The boys are all in tip-top shape physically. I just think the last two games, we haven’t been up to it with the ball and in the field, and that’s really cost us,” he said.
Dunk admitted the Capitals fell short with their total. “Yeah, I think about 180 would have been really nice. We just struggled a little bit, lost wickets at the wrong time. Unfortunately, the bowlers actually got us back into the game, but we just haven’t backed them up the last two nights in the field.”
On the toss and conditions, Dunk remarked, “Yesterday, the dew came into play and helped the wicket a lot. Tonight, there wasn’t any dew, so there’s no real excuse. Another 15 runs maybe makes a difference, maybe not. We need to reassess quickly.”
Dunk remained optimistic despite back-to-back losses. “Confidence plays a big part in Twenty20 cricket. You gain confidence by executing your skills well and seeing results. Over the last two nights, there have been parts where we’ve done that, and parts where we haven’t. Hopefully, we can regroup, play better cricket, and make Dubai a mini fortress for us.”
With this win, the Gulf Giants have sparked hopes of turning their campaign around, while the Dubai Capitals will look to address their issues quickly ahead of their next match.
