It was W, W, W, W when it started. It is W, W, W, W, W when it is over. MI Emirates have capped off an absolutely dominant second half of the league stage with a win just as dominant. The bowlers set it up, the batters knocked it down. No fuss. No stress. 

The Polly touch

Although MI Emirates weren’t chasing a massive target, the game seemed headed in the direction of a low-scoring thriller at the tenth over stage. 59/2, with Kieron Pollard just having walked out to join Tom Banton, who was relatively new to the crease as well. Polly took his time, was on three runs off 14 balls at one stage too. But then broke the shackles in typical KP fashion with a six. Poor Waqar Salamkheil was at the receiving end then of the assault that was to follow in the 15^th over. 

14.1: SIX

14.2: FOUR

14.3: 2 runs

14.4: SIX

14.5: SIX

14.6: SIX

30 runs came off the over, and just like that, the game was sealed. All thoughts the Capitals might have had of taking this deep were gone. Woosh. Pollard finished with a 31-ball 44, and MI Emirates were home with 20 balls to spare. 

The Waseem start

He is knocking on the doors of the Green Belt, and once again, did what he’s been doing all season: get us off to a quick start. The new ball was the best time to bat given how difficult scoring became with the softer ball, Muhammad Waseem wasted no time to get going. A 19-ball 28 to set up the chase and give the other batters some time to settle in. 

The Ghazanfar wizardry 

3/28 in four overs despite bowling in the powerplay. Allah Ghazanfar was at his unplayable best on the night, getting rid of fellow countryman, Sediqullah Atah, in the sixth over, before returning in the 14^th over with two more strikes to derail Dubai’s innings as they folded out for an underpar 122/8 in their 20 overs. 

Right then, we now are officially in the top two, and will face the Gulf Giants in the first Qualifier in Abu Dhabi on December 30. At home, playing the final match of the year, how’s fun a setting is that to seal a date for the 4^th of January!