ILT20: Afghan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq's five wickets end Gulf Giants' unbeaten run

It is amazing what a win can do. Sharjah Warriors took more than a while to get up and running, their fourth game, to be precise. And that win against the Dubai Capitals seemed to have done wonders to their confidence.

Afghan medium pacer Naveen-ul-Haq came up with the tournament’s first five-wicket haul after Joe Denly had struck a half-century as the Sharjah Warriors inflicted a first defeat on the Gulf Giants in the 14th fixture of the DP World ILT20 on Monday.

The Gulf Giants, who were the only unbeaten side in the tournament after they had halted the Desert Vipers, came up short in the chase of 152 against the Sharjah Warriors, going down by 21 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The Gulf Giants still remain table toppers though and remain static on eight points, while the Sharjah Warriors moved to fourth with four points, courtesy of their second win.

“Got lucky, to be honest, but that's the nature of the game. Great to contribute to the team's win,” Player of the Match Haq said at the post-match presentation.

Told to take first dig by Gulf Giants captain James Vince after rain had lashed Dubai, the Sharjah Warriors fought off the chilly breeze and the Gulf Giants’ bowling attack to make a par score of 151-7.

They owed that to Joe Denly who stroked a 43-ball 58 studded with four boundaries and two sixes, coming in at No.5.

Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi came up with a neat cameo of 20 from 16 balls. This was after opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore had smoked a 20-ball 36 with three lusty sixes and two boundaries.

White Belt holder Chris Jordan further reinforced his reign at the top of the wicket-takers’ list by returning with three scalps to move to 10 wickets.

And nothing went right for the Gulf Giants right from the first ball of the chase. After their young opener Rehan Ahmed was out for nought off Woakes and Vince fell cheaply for the second successive match, it was a tough ask.

With Tom Banton and Shimron Hetmyer dismissed by the UAE’s very own Siddique, the writing was on the wall.

Jordan and David Wiese provided a late blitz, but it only delayed the inevitable as skipper Moeen Ali, Woakes and Dawid Malan, who all will link-up with England’s ODI squad in South Africa, signed off with a win.

The Desert Vipers go up against MI Emirates at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

6 pm UAE Time