ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Former West Indies white-ball captain, Nicholas Pooran, played a key role as MI Emirates produced an imperious batting effort to brush aside Evin Lewis’s Sharjah Warriors by 49 runs in the second game of the International League T20 here yesterday.
The left-hander, who quit the captaincy last November following West Indies’ T20 World Cup calamity, lashed 49 from 30 deliveries to help propel the Kieron Pollard-led side to an imposing 204 for four five from their 20 overs.
Muhammad Waseem, a 28-year-old right-hander from UAE, top-scored with an electrifying 71 from 39 balls while the West Indies trio of Pollard (22 not out), Andre Fletcher (22) and veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo (21 not out) all played supporting roles.
In reply, West Indies opener Evin Lewis perished for a four-ball ‘duck’ – one of two wickets to fall in the second over – as Warriors were restricted to 155 for nine off their 20 overs.
Chris Woakes’s 29-ball 62 was a rearguard action after the innings slumped to 90 for eight in the 14th over while Afghan stroke-maker Rahmanullah Gurbaz struck 43 from 31 balls at the top of the order.
Sent in earlier at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Mi Emirates suffered an early setback when Will Smeed fell cheaply for two in the third over with 23 runs on the board.
However, Fletcher, Pooran and Pollard and Bravo then proved the architects of their side’s recovery in crucial successive partnerships. Fletcher, who counted three fours and a six in a 20-ball knock, added 47 for the second wicket with Waseem who blasted five fours and five sixes, before Pooran arrived to put on a further 79 for the third wicket with Waseem.
Pooran departed in the 17th over after striking two fours and four sixes but Pollard and Bravo stepped up after three wickets went down for 14 runs, adding an important 41 off 20 balls in an unbroken sixth wicket stand.
Warriors’ start was less than stellar, Lewis edging a drive onto his stumps and Englishman Dawid Malan missing a drive next ball and being adjudged lbw to left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-27).
Struggling at four for two, Warriors were revived by Rahmanullah who thumped seven fours in a 49-run, third wicket partnership with captain Moeen Ali (15) before leg-spinner Imran Tahir (3-26) and Bravo (2-13) scythed through the middle and lower order.