Gulf Cricket T20I: Meet Bhavsar powers Kuwait to 8-wicket win over Bahrain

Left-handed batsman Meet Bhavsar shone with 76 off 49 balls (6x4s, 4x6s) as Kuwait thrashed Bahrain by eight wickets in the Gulf Cricket T20I Championship at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Saturday night.

Put into bat after Kuwait had won the toss and opted to bowl, Bahrain began very well with the openers – skipper Umer Toor (27 off 27 balls) and wicketkeeper-batsman Imran Ali 20 off 18 balls) -- adding 42 for the first wicket in 6.1 overs.

However, the fall of five wickets by the time they reached 60, pegged them back.

Only a fiery 34 off 13 balls (4x6s) by No. 8 Rizwan Butt saw them get to 123/9 in 20 overs.

Leg-spinner Shiraz Khan picked 3/12 while left-arm orthodox Yasin Khan took 2/17 to wreak havoc.

The Kuwaitis had lost two early wickets with both Ravija Sandaruwan and last match’s star Adnan Idrees failing to get off the mark.

But Bhavsar blew away the attack as he and wicketkeeper-batsman Usman Patel (43 off 33 balls) added unbeaten 125 for the third wicket to see their team through to win in just 13.5 overs. Bhavsar was given Player of the Match award.

This was Kuwait’s second successive win. They had won the opening match by five wickets, beating Saudi Arabia by five wickets.

Brief Scores: Bahrain 123/9 in 20 overs (Rizwan Butt 34, Shiraz Khan 3/12, Yasin Patel 2/17) lost to Kuwait 127/2 in 13.5 overs (Meet Bhavsar 76 not out, Usman Patel 43 not out, Ali Dawood 2/22) by eight wickets

Cricket, Gulf Cricket T20I Championship, Meet Bhavsar, Kuwait, Bahrain