Desert Vipers beat Gulf Giants by 19 runs

Desert Vipers beat Gulf Giants to become the first side to reach the International League T20 final.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Monitoring, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga struck 31 and took 3 for 36 in the chase to help secure victory.

Sherfane Rutherford (37) top-scored as Vipers set 179 to win.

The West Indies batter twice left the field with a hamstring injury but powered a four and a quartet sixes during a match-winning knock while Sam Billings (31) and Tom Curran (29) chipped in with vital runs to secure a defendable total, The Cricketer reported.

Giants had won five times chasing in the ILT20 and started well thanks to James Vince (21) and Chris Lynn (26) putting on a 53-run opening stand in the powerplay.

Rutherford battled through injury to help Vipers towards a defendable total.

The fall of four wickets for 22 runs set them back as Curran and Hasaranga led the fightback in the middle overs.

Shimron Hetmyer hammered 36 from 21 balls but when he top-edged Luke Wood to Benny Howell the momentum swung back the way of Vipers.

Dominic Drakes (9) and Carlos Brathwaite (18) hit Hasaranga over the rope but their dismissals in the next two overs ended any glimmer of hope.

After Curran took wickets with his final two deliveries to finish with 4 for 31, Sheldon Cottrell wrapped up victory by ending Chris Jordan’s brief counterattack.

Giants will get a second chance to book a place in the final against the winner of the Eliminator between MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals.