ILT20: Zaman, Amir power Desert Vipers to 10-wicket victory over Sharjah Warriorz | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: The Desert Vipers returned to winning ways at the third season of ILT20, outperforming the Sharjah Warriorz and winning by a commanding 10-wicket margin on Wednesday at the Dubai International Stadium.
Mohammad Amir’s four-wicket haul and Fakhar Zaman’s undefeated 71 helped the Desert Vipers sail to a decisive victory that solidified their top spot in the rankings.

Alex Hales got the Desert Vipers off to a terrific start with a barrage of boundaries, and they wasted no time in their pursuit. Within the first two overs, the team sped to 20/0 after he hit Adam Milne for a maximum and then clobbered Tim Southee for three fours.
With some clean hitting, Zaman stepped in, taking aim at Bangladeshi pacer Junaid Siddique in his opening over. He sliced him away for a boundary after crossing the stump, and then he hit a stunning pull shot for four more.
Zaman appeared to have a straightforward goal: to prevent the bowlers from settling in. He was in his rhythm. He pursued Ashton Agar and used a huge slog sweep to strike him for a huge six.
The Desert Vipers scored 47 runs after five overs when the Pakistani batsman sprinted down the track for the following delivery and smashed it clean past the pitcher. The Sharjah Warriorz were 18/4 at the same point in the first innings.
As the required run rate fell below three runs per over and the Desert Vipers’ batters reveled in the middle, the disparity in batting became apparent. Hales was content to take a backseat while Zaman gave it his best.

Using all his strength, he muscled the ball over long on and into the stands as he targeted Siddique once again in the seventh over. Shortly after, Zaman reached his second half-century of the season in 30 balls.
The Desert Vipers would eventually hunt down the target, but Zaman sped up the process by hitting Agar for six with a brilliant slog-sweep and then finishing the match with a six over long-on.
While the Desert Vipers secured a decisive 10-wicket victory, Zaman completed with an outstanding 71* in 39 balls.