Shadab, Carter lead Vipers to first GSL win

Desert Vipers secured their first victory of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League on Monday night, defeating the San Francisco Unicorns by nine wickets in Match Seven at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan ripped through the opposition line-up with a dominant bowling spell, capturing 4-13 from four overs as Unicorns were limited to 151-7 from the allotted 20 overs. Opener Zachary Carter then provided the explosive top-order fire power by hitting a blistering 55 from 29 balls to ignite the chase. His opening partner Saiteja Mukkamalla remained to the end on 52 off 42, while Rilee Rossouw was on 36 off 26, Vipers winning with 23 balls to spare. This win represents a crucial turnaround for the Desert Vipers after suffering consecutive defeats earlier in the group stage, while Unicorns have now registered just one victory from three outings as well. Carter was bowled by Anirudh Immanuel after clobbering three sixes and seven fours, but that did not stop the Vipers charge, as Mukkamalla and Rossouw continued to bat positively to seal the win. Mukkamalla struck two sixes and three fours and Rossouw tucked away six fours. Shadab Khan of Desert Vipers bowls during the GSL T20 match between San Francisco Unicorns and Desert Vipers at the Guyana National Stadium, Providance, Guyana. (Photo by Ashley Allen/GSL T20) Earlier, after they won the toss and opted to bat first, Unicorns got off to a flying start, racing to 63 runs inside the first six overs without losing a wicket, thanks to Tim Robinson and Connor Esterhuizen. However, the separation of the openers completely halted the run rate, and the innings never regained momentum as wickets fell regularly. Robinson hit a top-score of 46 off 35 (5x4s, 1×6) and Esterhuizen a calculated 34 off 29 (6x4s) before he became Khan’s first scalp, caught and bowled. Sanjay Krishnamurti made 14 and Oliver Peake 13 before tournament’s leading runs-scorer Hammad Azam finished off the innings with unbeaten 21. The five-team tournament will continue on Tuesday from 19:00h when the revitalised Vipers take on Perth Scorchers, who have two defeats from two games. Reigning champions Guyana Amazon Warriors currently lead the points standing with six points, with Lahore Qalandars in second on four points. (GSL)