In a demonstration of sportsmanship, Desert Vipers captain Colin Munro decided to withdraw a run-out appeal against Martin Guptill, his New Zealand teammate, during an ILT20 match on Sunday, January 28.
Despite Munro’s act, Sharjah Warriors secured a victory, defeating Desert Vipers by seven runs in match number 13 of ILT20 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Sharjah Warriors posted a total of 174/7 while batting first, and Desert Vipers managed 167/7 in their chase.
During the 12th over of Sharjah Warriors’ innings, Joe Denly struck a full delivery from leg-spinner Shadab Khan down the ground. Unfortunately, Martin Guptill, positioned at the non-striker’s end, couldn’t avoid the impact of the powerful shot in time.
The ball seemed to strike Martin Guptill’s glove, deflecting towards the bowler who then dislodged the bails with the non-striker out of his crease. Despite the opportunity to appeal, Desert Vipers captain Munro chose to retract it, allowing Guptill to continue his batting.
You can watch the video here:
Being a good sport goes above being good at the sport.
Hats off to the @TheDesertVipers skipper for playing a fair game 🫡🫡#DPWorldILT20 #AllInForCricket #DVvSW pic.twitter.com/IotodgnKs7
— International League T20 (@ILT20Official) January 28, 2024
Guptill made a significant contribution, scoring 39 runs off 32 balls with four fours and a six before being dismissed by Shaheen Afridi. The top scorer for Sharjah Warriors was captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who played a fiery knock of 68 runs off 34 balls, including two fours and eight sixes.
Joe Denly remained unbeaten on 22 off 24 balls. In the bowling department, Luke Wood and Wanindu Hasaranga took three wickets each for Desert Vipers.
During the chase, Desert Vipers faced an early setback as Chris Woakes dismissed Munro for a duck in the second ball. Opening batsman Alex Hales played a powerful innings, scoring 61 runs off 40 balls, supported by three fours and five sixes. Azam Khan made a valuable contribution, scoring 35 runs off 22 balls. However, despite his efforts, Desert Vipers fell short of the target. Daniel Sams and Chris Woakes were the key wicket-takers for Sharjah Warriors, each picking up two wickets.
Desert Vipers currently occupy the bottom position in the ILT20 points table
Desert Vipers’ ILT20 campaign is struggling, having lost three out of four matches. They kicked off the tournament with a six-wicket defeat against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders but managed to secure a win by six wickets against Gulf Giants.
Despite putting up a strong fight against the Sharjah Warriors, the Desert Vipers couldn’t secure a win in their previous match. Their next challenge is against MI Emirates on January 30 in the ILT20.
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