Vince's unbeaten 83 helped his side past MI Emirates as they set up a final against Desert Vipers on Sunday
Dubai: MI Emirates 167-5, Gulf Giants 168-6 - Gulf Giants win by four wickets
James Vince starred as Gulf Giants overcame MI Emirates in the qualifier to reach the final of the inaugural ILT20.
Giants will face Desert Vipers, who had already clinched their spot, on Sunday.
Vince anchored an excellent chase, finishing unbeaten on 83 with 10 fours and a six as MI's campaign ended prematurely.
Vince, who will face Alex Hales, the other outstanding batter in the competition, held Giants' innings together as others came and went without making substantial contributions.
Chris Lynn (24) put on 64 runs inside the powerplay with the Hampshire man before falling to the final ball of the sixth over, before Colin de Grandhomme (10), Gerhard Erasmus (12), Shimron Hetmyer (0), David Wiese (15) and Carlos Brathwaite (13) all fell cheaply as the Afghanista duo of Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed two wickets apiece.
Kieron Pollard made 57 not out for MI Emirates (Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images)
Fresh from being knocked out of the SA20 in the group stage with MI's sister franchise in Cape Town, Rashid was expensive, conceding 40 runs from his four overs as Vince dominated the Emirates attack, driving Farooqi to the boundary to secure Giants their win.
Earlier, Kieron Pollard had given MI a score to defend in the first place; he came to the crease at 67 for 4 in the 11th over and smashed four sixes on his way to an unbeaten 57 – the latest fine knock in a terrific campaign for the West Indies legend.
He was only really supported by Nicholas Pooran's 29, which came off 25 balls, after Muhammad Waseem (31), Andre Fletcher (4), Lorcan Tucker (21) and Dan Mousley (7) had departed in the first half of MI's innings.
Chris Jordan, who also held onto a terrific slip catch to dismiss Fletcher, was the pick of Giants' bowlers, finishing with 2 for 25.
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