Tom Kohler-Cadmore led Sharjah Warriors climbed from the bottom of the table to the fifth spot with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in ILT20 2024. Former Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) leggie Adil Rashid spun a web around Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' batters to help side bowl them out for 94 in 17.1 overs. The lowly target was chased down by Sharjah Warriors with 37 balls to spare.
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Kohler-Cadmore won the toss and opted to field first. In the first over, Chris Woakes bowled a peach of a delivery to get through the bat and pad gap of Joe Clarke. After a wicket-maiden, Knight Riders' batters struggled to score. Daniel Sams bowled a maiden over as well. In the final over of the powerplay overs, Alishan Sharafu accelerated and hit Sams for two fours and a six.
Michael Pepper pushed the scoring rate with a few boundaries. Rashid was introduced into the attack in the ninth over. He dismissed Sharafu who scored 26 runs from 28 balls. On the last ball of the over, he got the wicket of Pepper as well. He scored 32 runs from 21 balls. After a couple of boundaryless overs, Imad Wasim succumbed to the dot ball pressure and got out lbw to Liam Livingstone.ย
Rashid in his third over struck off consecutive deliveries to dismiss Sam Hain and Ravi Bopara. In the next over, Rashid's direct hit caught Laurie Evans short of the crease. Joe Denly was introduced in the 17th over. He bowled a double-wicket maiden. Sagar Kalyan and skipper Sunil Narine became his victims. Then Sams wrapped up the Knight Riders' innings with the wicket of David Willey.
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In the run chase, Kohler-Cadmore got bowled by Joshua Little's first delivery. But Livingstone did not let Knight Riders dominate. He hit Little for a six and a four in the same over. Niroshan Dickwella did the same to Willey in the next over. Livingstone went after Little in his next over smashing a couple of sixes and fours. The breakthrough came in the sixth over, Wasim got Livingstone stumped. He scored 30 runs from 13 balls.
Super-sub Martin Guptill walked into bat. After three boundaryless overs, Wasim got Dickwella stumped as well. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 30 runs from 29 deliveries. But it turned out to be a consolation. Guptill's strike rate was just over 50 but there was no scoreboard pressure. In the 14th over, Denly led Sharjah Warriors to victory with 37 balls to spare.
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Despite the loss, Knight Riders are second on the points table with five wins from nine games. However, their net run rate took a hit.
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