Gous ton powers Vipers to ILT20 final
Andries Gous' 58-ball 120 not out powered the Desert Vipers to the ILT20 final as they defeated MI Emirates by 45 runs in the first qualifier in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (December 30). Gous, who struck nine sixes and seven fours, was involved in a record 157-run stand for the opening wicket with Fakhar Zaman as Vipers posted a commanding 233/1. MI Emirates, despite a good start from Tom Banton (63 off 7) and a quickfire knock from Romario Shepherd towards the end, closed on 188 for 7, as Vipers sealed a convincing win to march into their second ILT20 final.
After a watchful start against Fazalhaq Farooqi, Gous and Fakhar settled quickly, rotating strike with ease before unfurling their range after Vipers were asked to bat. Shepherd was taken for 20 runs in the fifth over, with Gous hitting two sixes and a four. Vipers got 47 in the powerplay and boundaries began to flow through the middle overs as both batters punished anything overpitched or short, bringing up the Vipers' hundred inside 11 overs and stretching the stand to become the highest opening partnership in ILT20 history.
The stand was finally broken when Fakhar fell to AM Ghazanfar on 69, giving the bowlers some respite in the 16th over. But by then, Gous had taken full control. He cruised through the gears with a blend of clean straight hitting and authoritative pulls. His century came off only 58 balls, making him the first player to score a hundred in the knockout stages of the league.
The Emirates' bowlers struggled to execute at the death, serving up a succession of full tosses that disappeared into the stands or gaps. The 19th over yielded 22 as Gous hit two sixes and a four off Shepherd to take Vipers past 200. Sam Curran ensured the momentum only surged further, as he needed no settling time, striking 38 off just 12 balls. This includes two sixes and two fours off Zahoor Khan in the last over as the final two overs went for 44 runs, with the Gous-Curran association collecting 76 off just 25 balls.
MI Emirates began the chase with intent as Muhammad Waseem went hard from ball one, repeatedly finding the leg-side fence. Andre Fletcher struggled to match the tempo and fell early, but Banton ensured the chase stayed alive with a blistering counterattack. Mixing clean pulls with fearless lofted strokes, Banton raced to a 21-ball fifty, forging a rapid stand with Waseem that briefly injected belief. At the halfway stage, MI Emirates, at 104/1 seemed on track, but the asking rate continued to climb with every quiet over.
The momentum swung decisively once the Vipers turned to spin. On ILT20 debut, Usman Tariq produced a game-changing spell, removing Banton for a 27-ball 63 and then striking twice more in quick succession to derail the middle order. Naseem Shah complemented him smartly, mixing pace-off deliveries and sharp yorkers to account for Waseem and choke the scoring. With wickets tumbling and the pitch beginning to slow, MI Emirates slipped from a strong position into damage-control mode.
Shepherd provided late fireworks with a powerful cameo, taking on Curran and David Payne in the closing overs, but the target had long drifted out of reach. Usman finished with 3 for 33, while the Vipers' collective use of cutters and slower balls ensured the chase never truly recovered.
Brief scores: Desert Vipers 233/1 in 20 overs (Andries Gous 120*, Fakhar Zaman 69, Sam Curran 38*; AM Ghazanfar 1-37) beat MI Emirates 188/7 in 20 overs (Tom Banton 63, Muhammad Waseem 41; Usman Tariq 3-33, David Payne 2-52) by 45 runs.
