Pooran and Farooqi shine as MI Emirates bounce back with victory over Gulf Giants

MI Emirates bounced back from their opening day blues to claim their first points with victory over Gulf Giants in the DP World ILT20 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Nicholas Pooran top scored with a 28-ball 51 and Tim Davids hit an impressive 41 not out off 15 balls to help Emirates post a challenging 179 for five after a slow start.

Fazalhaq Farooqi then returned with four for 25 from four overs to restrict the Giants to 161 for nine, leaving Emirates winners by 18 runs.

Richard Gleeson began the match with a tidy first over, giving away only two singles, after the Giants elected to field first. Dominic Drakes struck at the other end from his second delivery to have Will Smeed (1) caught off his own bowling, leaving MI Emirates 4-1 at the end of that over.

Muhammad Waseem, joined by Andre Fletcher, put on 41 before Mujeeb ur Rahman, coming into the attack for the first time in the seventh over, broke the partnership.

The Afghan produced a quick delivery that turned sharply to crash into Waseem’s stumps. The UAE captain had appeared to get into his stride by smashing Gleeson for consecutive sixes in the previous over in his 18-ball 19.

Fletcher departed for a 38-ball 28, caught at the third man fence off Jamie Overton, to leave Emirates struggling at 66-3 in 11.5 overs.

Pooran and Ambati Rayudu set the tempo with a brilliant 69-run stand from 32 balls before Davids rounded off with an unbeaten 41 off 15 deliveries that had five sixes and a couple of boundaries. He pumelled Chris Jordan’s final over for 27.

Farooqi’s match defining 4-fer and a collective performance with the bat has helped the MI Emirates register an 18-run win against the defending champions!