DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – A tidy spell from retired West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine failed to inspire Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, and England international Sam Billings and Zimbabwe international Sikandar Raza propelled Dubai Capitals to a five-wicket win in their ILT20 match on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates.
Narine ended with two for 23 from his allotted four overs, and West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell grabbed one wicket for 19 from one over. Still, Billings and Raza shared 109 for the fourth wicket, and the Capitals successfully chased 184 to win the match at the Dubai International Stadium.
Billings hit nine fours and one six in the top score of 67 off 35 balls, and Raza, who captained St Lucia Kings in last year’s Caribbean Premier League, supported with five fours in 43 off 29 balls to make light work of the run chase.
UAE wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul Chopra formalized the result with 23 balls remaining when he tickled a delivery to fine leg for four off Pakistan left-arm spinner Imad Wasim, who captained the now-decommissioned Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL last year.
Capitals are now level on four points with Mumba Indians Emirates at the top of the table, but they are effectively second due to an inferior net run rate.
“I think we batted well; it was a good total,” Narine, the Knight Riders captain, said, explaining it was difficult to bowl with a ball made wet with dew.
“Picking up early wickets would have been good for us bowling second. Their batters stuck to their plan, and not losing wickets helped them. Bowling second with the dew makes it difficult for spinners. However, we need to execute better.”
Capitals were set back early in the chase when their captain and recent Australia Test retiree David Warner was lbw to recent England international retiree David Willey to the second ball of the first over for a duck.
Rusell spilled a straightforward chance at long-on in the second over when he dropped the opener, Afghanistan international Rahmanullah Gurbaz, on naught, off Wasim.
To add insult to injury, Jake Fraser-McGurk hit two successive sixes off Wasim and Willey before Russell made up for his earlier error in the field when he held a return catch to send him packing for 41 in the fourth over.
Narine got Rahmanullah caught behind for 21 in the fifth over, and the Capitals ended the Power Play on 78 for three.
Billings and Raza took the score past 100 in the ninth over, and the pair carried the Capitals to 120 for three at the halfway mark.
The England international struck Ireland pacer Josh Little for two fours and a six in the 12th over and reached his half-century from 27 balls with a single off Narine, but the wily off-spinner got him caught at long-on in the 15th over.
Capitals were 174 for four and lost Raza caught and bowled to Willey off a leading edge in the next over with four required from the remaining 28 balls.
Earlier, former West Indies captain Jason Holder took only one wicket for 41 runs from his four overs in a noteworthy batting display from the Knight Riders led by Sam Hain and Laurie Evans.
They shared 131 for the fourth wicket, and Knight Riders reached 183 for four from their allocation of 20 overs after they were put into bat.
Hong Kong-born Hain led the way with 77 off 49 balls, including eight boundaries and two sixes, and fellow England international Evans hit an unbeaten 67 off 41 balls decorated with six fours and two sixes.
Holder got the wicket of Hain caught at extra cover with the second ball of the final over, but Billings and Raza produced a clinical run chase to win it for the Capitals.
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