DUBAI // Sarfraz Ahmed and Sir Viv Richards may have celebrated victory prematurely, but they did not have to wait for too much longer, as Quetta Gladiators beat Peshawar Zalmi with three wickets and one ball to spare.
They thought they had done it easier than that when Elton Chigumbura hit a sweet pull shot off Wahab Riaz with six required in the final over.
He was hitting to the long boundary, though, and it fell some yards short, meaning captain Sarfraz’s euphoric pitch invasion had been mistimed.
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Kevin Pietersen, Quetta’s batting star, threw his bat about 20 feet in the air in despair after firing a catch to Shahid Afridi when the game was in his grasp.
The former England batsman had appeared to be marshaling the run chase perfectly at that point. With him gone, the chances of success seemed suddenly limited.
Chigumbura and Anwar Ali managed to get them over the line at the last, though.
With the likes of Afridi, Pietersen, and Shaun Tait playing, this match involved a variety of the world’s most noted T20 players.
Darren Sammy, a World T20 winning captain of West Indies, showed why his services are so valued in tournament’s of this type, as he hoisted Zalmi to a defendable total.
The expressive St Lucian pumped his fist in celebration at all manner of things during his stay at the wicket, including when a wide was sent down.
Most times, though, it was when he or a colleague sent one over the boundary. Sammy hit four sixes himself, as he made 48 from No 7 in the order.
After his cameo helped Zalmi post a target of 136, Afridi did his bit, picking up two wickets in a thrifty four overs. The Peshawar side fell short, though.
pradley@thenational.ae
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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