ILT20: Always nice to be in a winning position, says Tim Seifert

NEW DELHI: Tim Seifert's explosive cameo powered Sharjah Warriorz to a stunning six-wicket victory over defending champions MI Emirates in the high-stakes ILT20 Season 3 Eliminator at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Thursday. Seifert’s unbeaten 40 off 20 balls, combined with Tim Southee’s crucial two-wicket haul, propelled Sharjah a step closer to the title. They will now face Desert Vipers in Qualifier 2 on Friday for a spot in the final.
With MI Emirates' elimination, ILT20 Season 3 is guaranteed a new champion, as both former titleholders have been knocked out of the competition. This marks a historic milestone for Sharjah Warriorz, as they have reached this stage of the tournament for the first time.

Seifert, who bagged the Player of the Match award, said the team is now focussing on the Qualifier 2 where they will face Desert Vipers on Friday.

"Always nice to get to that winning position. Our bowlers though did very well to get them to just 150. We did very well to pull him (Pooran) back and then the momentum shifted for us. The bowlers have been superb all tournament, the way they use the new ball has been outstanding. (On Southee) He has done a great job for the Black Caps, always nice to play with your teammates. Just tried to be positive and putting pressure on them, they bowled very well and made things tough. Big semi-final coming, hopefully we can make it to the final," Seifert said after the match.
Following MI Emirates’ exit, head coach Robin Singh admitted that the team’s performance was below par in the crucial match, adding that the players lost their wickets too easily.

"Of course, we didn't play well. We were below par. I think the par score on this wicket was probably around 175. I thought we lost the game in the middle. I mean, we can't be 105 for 6 in 14 overs, you know. Most of the guys got out pretty softly, to be honest. I think we needed a bit more common sense in our batting, but that didn't happen," Robin said after the match.
"Look, we have good players, but at the end of the day, everyone needs to perform. We had some really good performances—Tom (Banton) was exceptional, Farooqi bowled well, and the two UAE boys did well. Nicholas also played well. But to win a tournament, you need a team effort. You need eight to ten players consistently delivering strong performances," he said.