In pursuit of 139 runs set by the Gulf Giants, the Dubai Capitals made an impressive start, with openers Leus du Plooy and Tom Banton smashing the ball around, reaching 73/0 by the end of the powerplay.
Despite the Giants’ bowlers’ desperation for a breakthrough, du Plooy and Banton’s partnership was steadily laying the groundwork for their team’s progression to the finals.
However, the pace of scoring slowed down as the duo added only 22 runs from the powerplay until the 10th over. Despite this, the Giants missed a golden opportunity to break the opening partnership, with things seeming to go awry for the defending champions.
In the third ball of the 11th over, bowled by Carlos Brathwaite, the well-set Banton attempted to advance down the pitch and drive the ball. However, failing to make proper contact, the ball’s top edge sent it soaring towards square leg where Dawson was positioned.
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Dawson hesitated and refrained from extending his hands to catch it, while Shimron Hetmyer, charging in from deep square leg, further confused the situation, resulting in a missed opportunity as Dawson spun around and failed to secure the straightforward catch.