Sharjah Warriorz registered a four-wicket win over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, keeping their playoff hopes alive. The result lifted the Warriorz to six points and ensured the battle for the remaining ILT20 Season 4 playoff spots remains wide open.
Warriorz’s Batting Collapse
The Warriorz caught the momentum when Taskin Ahmed and Wasim Akram produced a strong opening spell. Abu Dhabi were reduced to 10 for 4, with Taskin taking two wickets. Meanwhile, Wasim delivered a wicket maiden over, the first by a UAE player in league history.
Phil Salt, Alex Hales, Brandon McMullen, and Liam Livingstone got dismissed cheaply. Sherfane Rutherford provided resistance, joining forces with Alishan Sharafu and later Unmukt Chand to rebuild the innings. Rutherford’s 44 off 36 balls anchored the recovery. Andre Russell and Jason Holder contributed at the end. However, Adil Rashid’s calm execution at the death ensured the Knight Riders were limited to 134/9.
Sharjah Win on the Last Ball
The chase was not easy. Early wickets put the Warriorz under pressure, and Sunil Narine put pressure to slow the scoring. At 58/3 halfway through the innings, the match was still evenly balanced.
James Rew then played a calm and sensible innings. He stayed unbeaten on 42 and, with steady support from Sikandar Raza, helped Sharjah stay in the game.
Jason Holder bowled a very good second-last over, leaving 12 runs to defend. However, Rew and Rashid didn’t give in to pressure and won the match on the final ball.
After the game, Rashid said experience and good execution made the difference, while Holder felt Abu Dhabi were a few runs short with the bat despite their strong bowling effort.
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