By Anas Ahmed 
Tom Alsop’s scintillating unbeaten 85 powered the Gulf Giants to an emphatic six-wicket victory over the Sharjah Warriorz in a high-stakes ILT20 Season 3 clash at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday evening.
Chasing a competitive target of 172, Alsop anchored the innings with a masterful knock, forging a crucial 65-run partnership with Tom Curran to secure the Gulf Giants’ second consecutive win of the tournament.
Gulf Giants’ Chase: A Display of Grit and Class
The Gulf Giants made their intent clear early on as James Vince and Tom Alsop combined for a brisk 42-run opening stand. Vince’s dismissal in the fourth over, undone by a short delivery from Dilshan Madushanka, brought Jordan Cox to the crease. Although Cox and Gerhard Erasmus couldn’t convert their starts, Alsop’s calm presence ensured the chase stayed on course.
Alsop’s fluent innings, marked by precision and timing, saw him reach his maiden ILT20 half-century in 44 balls. The 16th over became the turning point of the game as Madushanka conceded 18 runs, including a six from Alsop and boundaries from Curran, reducing the required run rate significantly.
The duo carried their momentum into the 18th over, dismantling Adam Milne for 16 runs and edging closer to victory. Alsop, with his unbeaten 85 off 53 balls, capped off a memorable chase, ensuring the Gulf Giants crossed the finish line with six wickets and five balls to spare.
Sharjah Warriorz: A Solid Start, But a Slump in the Middle
Earlier, the Sharjah Warriorz were off to a flying start after being put in to bat. Johnson Charles and Tom Kohler-Cadmore stitched together a dynamic opening stand of 57 in the powerplay. Kohler-Cadmore’s 29 and Charles’ quick-fire 30 off 19 balls laid the foundation for a strong total, but a middle-order collapse curtailed their momentum.
Blessing Muzarabani’s disciplined spell in the middle overs dented the Warriorz’ progress, as he dismissed Kohler-Cadmore and Avishka Fernando in quick succession. By the halfway mark, the Warriorz were struggling at 79/3.
Jason Roy, with his well-crafted 44, provided much-needed stability, but his dismissal in the 18th over by Muzarabani proved costly. Ashton Agar’s late flourish, which included multiple boundaries, lifted the Warriorz to a defendable 171/6.
Post-Match Reactions
Player of the Match Tom Alsop reflected on his match-winning knock, saying, “It was nice to spend time out there. The conditions were more batter-friendly today, and I focused on soaking in the pressure and grinding out the chase.”
Sharjah Warriorz captain Tim Southee admitted that his side fell short with the ball, stating, “It was a pretty good score, but we couldn’t finish well. Hopefully, we can bounce back in our remaining games.”
Brief scores:
Sharjah Warriorz 171/6 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 44, Johnson Charles 30, Blessing Muzarabani 3 for 32)
Gulf Giants 172/4 in 19.3 overs (Tom Alsop 85*, Tom Curran 26*, James Vince 24, Dilshan Madushanka 2 for 49)
Player of the Match: Tom Alsop
Gulf Giants beat Sharjah Warriorz by six wickets.
Zainab Shafiq