Trent Boult has scored a total of 67 runs in his T20 career including international cricket, T20 leagues and domestic competitions. The lethal left-arm pacer but usual no.10/11 batter has a highest T20I score of 8 but on December 23, he turned out to be the hero with the bat for Northern Knights in a thrilling low-scoring affair. Boult hit a last-ball six to get his team over the line after they had lost three wickets in the last over.
Rollercoaster last over
In the 20th over of the run chase, Knights needed eight runs to win with four wickets in hand. Ed Nuttall who had conceded 35 runs in his first three overs was given the responsibility to bowl the toughest over of the match. But, Nuttall turned the game by getting the wicket of Anurag Verma and Ish Sodhi off the first two deliveries. Boult walked out to bat and took a single off the first ball he faced. Knights still needed seven runs to win from three deliveries.
No.11 batter Joe Walker walked out to bat but got out off the first ball he faced. After Walker’s wicket, opener Katene Clarke who got retired hurt took guard. Clarke had hit Nuttall for four consecutive sixes in the second over but could only get a single off the penultimate delivery. It seemed like Nuttall has had the last laugh with six runs needed off the last ball of the match.
However, the left-arm pacer did not bother to bowl a yorker or pitch it wide to Boult. He bowled it right in the slot and Boult backed away to hit it over mid-wicket boundary for a maximum to stun the bowler and Canterbury players. The whole dressing room including Sodhi jumped in joy as Boult did the unthinkable to help his side win a nail-biter of a match.
Impactful with new ball
Earlier Boult had taken two wickets from three overs. The left-arm pacer was impressive with the new ball as he removed both the openers. Apart from Henry Nicholls who scored 35 off 21 deliveries, no other batter from the Canterbury side made an impact as they were bundled out for 107 in the 18th over.
In reply, Knights got off to a blazing start with Clarke taking Nuttall to the cleaners. However, after he got retired hurt and opener Tim Seifert got run out, the run chase got derailed. From 48/2 in 6.3 overs, they went to 101/9 with three balls to go in the innings before Boult finished it in style. For Canterbury, Matt Henry and Todd Astle were the most economical as they conceded eight runs each from their four overs quota and picked one wicket as well.
