CRICKET-Hosein, Pooran sends Emirates into final.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Akeal Hosein and Nicholas Pooran made an instant impact on return from the tour of Australia, helping MI Emirates thrash Shimron Hetmyer’s Gulf Giants by 45 runs and storm into the final of the ILT20 here Wednesday.

Left-arm spinner Hosein sent down a brilliant Man-of-the-Match spell with the new ball, claiming two for 13 from four overs as Giants crumbled for 118 in the penultimate over in pursuit of 164 for victory in the automatic qualifier at Dubai International Stadium.

Barbados-born England all-rounder Chris Jordan top-scored with a 15-ball 31 at number nine while Usman Khan chipped in with 26 from 28 balls up the order, but Giants never recovered from a dodgy position of 24 for three in the fifth over after Hosein struck twice.

Earlier, captain Pooran top-scored with 36 from 28 deliveries as MI Emirates rallied to 163 for seven off their 20 overs after being sent in.

The left-handed Pooran, who struggled on the three-match T20 tour of Australia, struck four and three sixes in posting 45 for the fourth wicket with veteran former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo (30) to pull the innings around from 46 for three in the seventh over.

Andre Fletcher was dismissed on the first ball, bowled by Australian pacer Daniel Worrell, who starred with three for 15.

Once Pooran and Bravo fell in the space of 18 deliveries to leave MI Emirates on 115 for five, another former West Indies captain, Kieron Pollard, belted an unbeaten 14-ball 27 in a 45-run, sixth wicket stand with Australian Tim David, who struck 29 from 21 deliveries, to rally the back end.

In reply, Hosein pushed back captain James Vince’s middle stump with the first ball of the chase before he got Chris Lynn (18) to miscue to Fletcher at point in the fifth over.

Hetmyer was fifth out at the end of the 10th over with 57 on the board, edging medium pacer Bravo behind Pooran after scoring only seven.

Jordan counter-attacked with two fours and three sixes, but 22-year-old leg-spinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (3-22) and left-arm spinner Waqar Salamkheil (2-27), also 22, combined to derail the Giants run chase.