David Wiese enjoyed another night to remember in Sharjah as Gulf Giants sent Sharjah Warriors crashing out of the DP World International League T20.
The Namibia all-rounder took five for 20 to set up a seven-wicket win that clinched top spot in the table for the Giants.
They will face second-placed Desert Vipers in the qualifier playoff in Dubai on Wednesday night. The winners of that game will advance straight to Sunday’s final.
The losers will still have a chance to progress. They will face the winner of Thursday’s first eliminator playoff, between MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals, on Friday night.
The Capitals edged their way through to the knockout phase with a win over the same opposition on Sunday night.
That victory left the Warriors knowing they needed a win themselves over Gulf Giants to take fourth place in the table.
They were rarely in the game against the on-song Giants, though, from the moment Warriors captain Moeen Ali lost the toss and was invited to bat first.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore made his customary rapid start for the Warriors, but after he fell to a remarkable tumbling catch by James Vince the home team subsided.
There was concern for the Giants almost immediately after that dismissal, though. Dominic Drakes, their left-arm fast bowler, took a fine tumbling catch to remove Moeen Ali.
In the process of doing so, he smashed his face on the ground. He had lengthy treatment on the field for concussion, and was subsequently moved to an ambulance on a stretcher, then taken to hospital.
Despite the concern over Drakes, the Giants remained focused, and quickly ran through the Warriors line up.
Wiese took three wickets in an over, and at the innings break was presented with the white belt for the leading bowler in the competition. By that point, the Warriors had managed just 107 all out in 18 and a half overs.
Wiese is no stranger to success in Sharjah. He once won a Pakistan Super League match for Lahore Qalandars with a last-ball six at the stadium, and was also player of the match as Namibia took one of their greatest victories there at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
The Warriors target was never likely to be enough, despite the slow and low batting track. Colin de Grandhomme, playing his first game since arriving from Australia’s Big Bash League, struck 35 in the chase.
Aayan Afzal Khan, the 17-year-old whizzkid, clinched the win in style as he hit Mohammed Nabi for six with three and a half overs still remaining.
