James Vince leads Gulf Giants to winning start in ILT20

HARRY GOODRUM: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders were well beaten for a second time in three days as Gulf Giants began their tournament in style

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 114-9, Gulf Giants 115-4 - Gulf Giants win by six wickets

Scorecard

Gulf Giants impressed in their first outing in the ILT20 to ease to a comfortable six-wicket win over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

Abu Dhabi were playing their second game of the new competition after losing in the tournament opener against Dubai Capitals but have now been hammered twice in three days, this time by James Vince's charges.

Knight Riders struggled in the powerplay thanks to disciplined bowling from Giants on a slow pitch, with Colin Ingram dragging on off the bowling of Sanchit Sharma for seven.

Sharma picked up two more wickets in his next over, with Brandon King and Connor Esterhuizen falling in consecutive balls.

When Paul Stirling, the in-form batter for Knight Riders, fell for a run-a-ball 20 – caught at cover off Liam Dawson – Abu Dhabi were in real strife.

Ollie Pope, keeping wicket for Vince's men, missed a stumping chance off Andre Russell in Dawson's next over, and briefly the powerful allrounder threatened to capitalise on that life. But he fell for 26 off 12 balls, furious with himself for trying to manufacture a shot through point off Chris Jordan.

^{Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have begun poorly in the ILT20 (Francois Nel/Getty Images)}

Rehan Ahmed, England's youngest Test debutant, trapped an out-of-sorts Akeal Hosein in front for five, with the leg-spinner finishing with figures of 1 for 25 in his four overs, impressing with his variations that Knight Riders' batters struggled to pick as they limped to 114 for 9.

That was little bother for Vince, who dominated in reply, opening the innings somewhat surprisingly with his Southern Brave teammate, Rehan, who was pushed up the order.

The youngster fell for seven, replaced by Ollie Pope, who simply watched on as James Vince took down Knight Riders' attack, including taking 17 runs from the fifth over.

Vince brought up an effortless half century off 33 balls thanks to back-to-back sixes off Akeal Hosein, before his innings was ended by opposing captain Sunil Narine, who proved a handful on a turning pitch.

Pope also fell to Narine and Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus went to Hosein for just a single, but the game was over as a contest by then.

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