After 34 matches over the course of a month, the two best teams in the DP World International League T20 were finally split by an arcane technicality of cricket’s law book.
Even allowing for the correct reading of Law 27.3.2, and multiple TV replays in super-low mo, the pivotal moment in the 2025 final of the UAE’s franchise competition was still contentious.
On the second ball of the seventh over of Dubai Capitals’ pursuit of 190 to beat Desert Vipers, Nathan Sowter had Rovman Powell smartly stumped down the leg-side by Azam Khan. Powell was clearly out of his ground, and the Capitals appeared sunk, on 56-4.
As the Jamaican batter was on his way back to the dressing room, the TV umpire, Paul Wilson, intervened.
The relevant law says, “the wicketkeeper shall remain wholly behind the wicket at the striker’s end from the moment the ball comes into play until the ball” is hit or passes the wicket, or the striker attempts a run. If not, a no ball must be given.
Wilson ruled that Azam’s gloves had just moved faintly ahead of the stumps as the ball passed by Powell. If so, it was barely perceptible.
Sowter bowled a wide off the next ball, and the ball after that was dispatched into the stands. The momentum had shifted inexorably to the Capitals, and the Vipers were unable to reassert control.
Powell himself made 63 from 38 balls. Aided by brilliant cameos from Dasun Shanaka and Sikandar Raza, it was enough for the Capitals to claim a four wicket win with four balls remaining.
That means the Dubai side are the first to win a major trophy for GMR, the company who also own the Indian Premier League side of the same name from Delhi.
There was plenty of niggle to spice this game. It was the fourth time these sides had met in the space of 20 days, and familiarity seems to have bred contempt.
Especially when it comes to Gulbadin Naib. The muscle-bound Afghan all-rounder has been a revelation for the Capitals with both bat and ball in this competition.
His penchant for flexing his biceps when celebrating wickets has clearly got up a few noses, though.
In the course of his fine half-century, Vipers captain Sam Curran imitated the flex, after Gulbadin had misfielded off his own bowling.
When Gulbadin was then dismissed cheaply in the run chase, Mohammed Amir, the bowler, did the same, while Curran also gave the batter a send off.
Curran was clearly amped. During his outstanding innings of 62 not out off 33 balls he hit a six into the top tier which measured a massive 117 metres.
His late push with Azam Khan – the duo added 67 for the fifth wicket in the last five overs of the Vipers effort – helped them post 189-5, after Max Holden had made a fine 76 earlier in the innings.
That meant the Capitals would require the exact same target as they had when they faced the Vipers in the first qualifier on Wednesday. They won that game in a final-ball thriller.
With the title on the line this time around, it was no less tense. The nerves must have been racing in the Capitals dressing room after they were reduced to 31 for three within the first five overs.
Those three cheap wickets were David Warner, Gulbadin and Sam Billings, the three stars of the Capitals batting line up.
Powell, for his part, had been shy of time at the wicket in this competition. That might have continued were it not for the remarkable reprieve that allowed him to become the hero of the night for the Capitals.
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Results:
Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
