Dubai: ILT20 Pearls, ILT20 Braves, ILT20 Marvels and ILT20 Blitzers will compete in the ILT20 Development Tournament’s semi-finals. The knockout matches will be played on Monday night at the ICC Academy Oval 1 from 4:30pm.
At the end of the 15-match group stage, Pearls topped the points table with 13 points. Braves finished second with 12 points. Marvels also collected 12 points but were pushed to number three due to their inferior net run-rate. Blitzers took the fourth spot with 10 points.
In the first semi-final Pearls will play Blitzers while Braves will take on Marvels in the second semi-final.
In tournament’s 13th match played on Saturday evening, ILT20 Blitzers blitzed past the ILT20 Braves 201-run total with four balls to spare. Wicketkeeper-Batter Kamran Atta top-scored with a scintillating 76 off 44 (11 fours, one six). Aryan Lakra (player of the match) made a useful 39-run contribution while the win was sealed courtesy an unbeaten 32 by Uzair Khan (18 balls, two fours, two sixes).
Excellent outing
Earlier, Braves had an excellent outing with the bat as they registered 201 for seven total which at the end proved to be inadequate. Abdul Ghaffar produced a stunning 80 off 30 (four fours, nine sixes). Asif Khan scored 43 off 25 (five fours, two sixes) while Hafiz Almas Ayub scored a breezy unbeaten 31. Aryan took three wickets with his spin bowling and followed that up with his important 32 with the bat in Blitzers chase.
Left-arm pacer Wasim Akram (player of the match) stole the show in Sunday’s opening fixture. The Thunderbolts opening bowler ripped through the Dynamos batting with six wickets for 21 runs. Only Muhammad Irfan (54 off 46 balls, eight fours, one six) offered some resistance to Wasim and the rest of the Dynamos attack. Dynamos were rolled over for 114 in 19.2 overs.
Thunderbolts finished the chase in a mere 8.2 overs for the loss of three wickets. Sandeep Singh who took three wickets scored a whirlwind unbeaten 58 off 20 (eight fours, three sixes). Sagar Kalyan contributed 23 runs.
ILT20 Braves registered a three-wicket win in the 15th and final group stage match which was played on Sunday night. Batting first Pearls scored 176 for three. Captain Alishan Sharafu top-scored with 80 off 41 balls (eight fours, four sixes). Aryansh Sharma scored 43 off 47 (four fours).
Braves chased down to target with two balls to spare. Player of the match Nasir Faraz played a pivotal innings for his side — 48 off 25 (three fours, three sixes). Asif Khan contributed 47 (42 balls, five fours) while Raees Ahmed scored 40 off 28. Nilansh Keswani took three wickets. Adhitya Shetty took two wickets for 27.
Brief scores:
ILT20 Blitzers beat ILT20 Braves by five wickets
ILT20 Braves 201 for 7, 20 overs (Abdul Ghaffar 80 not out, Asif Khan 43, Hafiz Almas Ayub 31; Aryan Lakra 3-17, Uzair Khan 2-30). ILT20 Blitzers 205 for 5, 19.2 overs (Kamran Atta 76, Aryan Lakra 39, Uzair Khan 32 not out; Haider Ali 2-40)
ILT20 Dynamos beat ILT20 Thunderbolts by seven wickets
ILT20 Dynamos 114 all out, 19.2 overs (Muhammad Irfan 54; Wasim Akram 6-21, Simranjeet Singh 3-23). ILT20 Thunderbolts 115 for 3, 8.2 overs (Sandeep Singh 58 not out, Sagar Kalyan 23; Sanchit Sharma 1-23
ILT20 Braves beat ILT20 Pearls by three wickets
ILT20 Pearls 176 for 3, 20 overs (Alishan Sharafu 80, Aryansh Sharma 43; Abdul Ghaffar 1-28). ILT20 Braves 177 for 7, 19.4 overs (Nasir Faraz 48, Asif Khan 47, Raees Ahmed 40; Nilansh Keswani 3-28, Adhitya Shetty 2-27)
