DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Australia-bound Johnson Charles narrowly missed out on a fourth Twenty20 hundred as he inspired Sharjah Warriors to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Jason Holder’s Dubai Capitals here yesterday.
Set 171 for victory at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Warriors were propelled by the right-handed Charles who top-scored with a Man-of-the-Match 93 off 51 deliveries, as they overhauled their target with seven balls to spare.
The 35-year-old, who will shortly travel to Australia as part of the West Indies squad for a three-match T20 International series, belted eight fours and half-dozen sixes in a robust knock which held the chase together.
With the innings slumping at 19 for two at the end of the second over, Charles dominated a 71-run, fourth wicket stand with Lewis Gregory (16), before adding a further 29 for the fifth with Basil Hameed (24 not out), to repair the damage.
He was dismissed at the start of the 17th over, caught at the wicket off Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera (4-28) but Hameed and Daniel Sams (16 not out) saw Warriors over the line safely in an unbroken 27-run partnership.
Holder, also part of the West Indies squad for the T20I series, went wicket-less from four overs which cost 35 runs.
Earlier, Englishman Sam Billings crunched a top score of 52 off 31 balls as Capitals gathered 170 for seven after being sent in.
Billings put on 81 for the fourth wicket with Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza (48) to pull the innings around from trouble at 51 for three in the ninth over.
