In contrast to their first innings, the Sharjah Warriors encountered a disastrous beginning to their chase, courtesy of Trent Boult and Akeal Hosein wreaking havoc in their batting order.
Hosein’s execution was so impeccable that he came close to securing a hat trick, only to have the opportunity denied by a successful DRS review initiated by the batting side.
With the score reduced to 54/4 in the initial seven overs, the chasing team struggled to withstand the pressure imposed by Akeal’s outstanding spell. The left-arm spinner dismissed Joe Denly with a caught and bowled on the second delivery of the eighth over.
Following a dot ball, he claimed back-to-back wickets on the fourth and fifth deliveries, sending Basil Hameed and Daniel Sams back to the pavilion.
Akeal nearly achieved a hat trick when Chris Woakes, deceived by a turning length delivery, was struck on the front foot, prompting the umpire to signal him out. However, the Caribbean spinner jubilantly sprinted across the field as the Englishman opted for a review.
— Glennmax (@maxglenn425) January 26, 2024
Much to everyone’s surprise, the ball was found to be pitching marginally outside the leg stump line, leading to the overturning of the on-field verdict and silencing Akeal’s celebration then and there. The entire incident caught the attention of the Twitterverse, prompting them to share their views on this amusing moment.