The Desert Vipers held their nerve to clinch the first-ever Super Over in the DP World ILT20, beating the Gulf Giants in a thriller at the Dubai International Stadium on Monday. Chasing 180, Sam Curran (44 off 36) and Dan Lawrence (56 off 31) powered a crucial recovery that dragged the Vipers level, maintaining their flawless record against the Giants with a sixth straight win.
Giants Blaze Early But Fade Late
Put in to bat, the Giants exploded out of the blocks. Pathum Nissanka (56 off 29) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (41 off 31) smashed 14 off Naseem Shah’s opening over and raced to 58 in the powerplay. Nissanka brought up his third fifty in as many games before Noor Ahmad removed him immediately after he hit a fourth six.
Gurbaz continued the charge with James Vince adding a steady 25, their stand swelling to 54. But Khuzaima Tanveer’s double strike swung the innings back, dismissing both Vince and Gurbaz. With only 38 runs coming from the final five overs, the Giants finished at 179/5.
Vipers Wobble, Then Hit Back
The chase got off to a shaky start. Azmatullah Omarzai struck early, removing Fakhar Zaman for 1, before Mark Adair dismissed Andries Gous. At 14/2, the Vipers were on the ropes.
Curran and Impact Player Max Holden attempted to rebuild, but Haider Razzaq halted that effort. At halfway, the Vipers were 65/3, still needing a daunting 115. Curran and Lawrence then sparked the turnaround, adding 60 runs with a flurry of boundaries. Curran’s attacking 44 ended when Nuwan Thushara struck, but Lawrence powered on to a 28-ball half-century.
Omarzai swung the momentum back again late, removing Shimron Hetmyer (16 off 8) and Lawrence in the same over. Quick runs from Hasan Nawaz and, crucially, a pressure-hit six from Tanveer brought the game to life once more. With 13 needed in the final over, Aravind found the gaps to tie the match and force the Super Over.
Super Over Composure Seals It
The Vipers struck 13 in the Super Over, with Lawrence finding the boundary before falling to Thushara. Naseem Shah then delivered a nerveless over, conceding just nine to secure the win.
It has been the trend recently, but I am not complaining, three wins from three.
On Tanveer: “He has been working extremely hard on his batting. To hit a six under pressure and then bowl really well are very positive signs.”
We made a couple of mistakes at the wrong time and allowed them back. In this format, the game is never over, and it was one we could easily have won.
Brief Scores: Desert Vipers beat Gulf Giants in the Super Over: Gulf Giants 179/5 (20 overs): Pathum Nissanka 56, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 41; Khuzaima Tanveer 2–23, Noor Ahmad 2–47 Desert Vipers 179/9 (20 overs): Dan Lawrence 56, Sam Curran 44; Azmatullah Omarzai 4–32, Nuwan Thushara 2–33. Super Over: Desert Vipers: Dan Lawrence 10, Shimron Hetmyer 3; Thushara 1–13 Gulf Giants: Moeen Ali 5, Tom Moores 1; Naseem Shah 0–9. Player of the Match: Dan Lawrence
