Dubai,
Fans at the Dubai International Stadium were treated to yet another dramatic finish as Sharjah Warriorz registered a three-wicket victory against the Gulf Giants. Tom Kohler-Cadmore was the standout performer in a match that went down to the last ball. He finished unbeaten on 83 runs from 56 balls with six fours and four sixes to steer the Warriorz to their target of 175.
Kohler-Cadmore’s exploits were complemented by a breezy knock of 45 runs from UAE’s Rohan Mustafa as the pair put on a 105-run partnership. The Warriorz endured a few anxious moments in the final over, but a composed Kohler-Cadmore helped them sail through and secure the two points.
Earlier in the evening, the Giants did well to recover from a tepid start. Rehan Ahmed, Jordan Cox and Shimron Hetmyer put up scores of 46, 38 and 36 runs respectively to place the Giants at 174/7. Meanwhile, Tim Southee led the Sharjah Warriorz bowling attack with enviable figures of 3 for 30.
Chasing 175, the Warriorz lost Johnson Charles to Daniel Worall as early as the first over, while Mark Adair scalped Jason Roy in the second over. The Warriorz still had a lucrative powerplay courtesy of Tom Kohler-Cadmore and UAE’s Rohan Mustafa as they finished the phase at 55/2.
Kohler-Cadmore was in scintillating form, smashing three fours and three sixes on his way to a 32-ball half-century. Together with Mustafa, he forged a commanding partnership, with Mustafa contributing a well-paced 45 runs off 33 balls.
With 24 runs required from the final two overs, Adil Rashid struck a crucial six in the 19th over, which yielded 14 runs and brought the target within reach. In a tense final over, Tom Kohler-Cadmore held his nerve to secure the 10 runs needed, guiding the Warriorz to victory off the last ball in a thrilling finish.
Mark Adair posted 20 runs at a strike-rate of 200 while Saghir Khan squeezed 11 runs in just four balls to conjure a strong finish at 174/7 in 20 overs.
Following his innings, Player of the Match Tom Kohler-Cadmore said, “It is great to get off with a win. I would have been devastated had we not got over the line. The pitch played well once you got your eye in, it was easier to hit.”
Praising Kohler-Cadmore’s knock, Gulf Giants skipper James Vince said, “I’m pretty happy with that score. There was some quality bowling from them upfront. Rehan and Cox built a good partnership, and Hettie did what he does. We thought they would come out strong, and the half chance of Cadmore proved costly. Having someone staying till the end was crucial. He is a quality player, a clean striker of the ball. It was a quality knock.”
Brief Scores
Sharjah Warriorz bt Gulf Giants by three wickets
Gulf Giants 174/7 in 20 overs (Rehan Ahmed 46, Jordan Cox 38, Shimron Hetmyer 36, Tim Southee 3 for 30)
Sharjah Warriorz 175/7 in 20 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 83 not out, Rohan Mustafa 45, Mark Adair 2 for 22, Blessing Muzarabani 2 for 27)