In a festive gathering at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, a Abu Dhabi Knight Riders he conquered Sharjah Warriors and 30 runs in 6 matches of the International League T20 2025. The Knight Riders, led by their brothers David Willey and Jason Holderthey defended a modest target of 160 to register their first win of the season. While the Knight Riders showed courage in both innings, the Warriors struggled to build a partnership, eventually falling short by 129 runs.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders' proper batting
After being beaten by the Warriors, the Knight Riders managed to score 159/5 in the allotted 20 overs. Kyle Mayers gave a fiery start, smashing 21 off 9 balls before falling Adam Milne. Joe Clarke (32 out of 27) and Alishan Sharafu (25 from 22) contributed steady runs between the overs, ensuring a steady score despite regular wickets. Laurie Evans he closed out the innings with an unbeaten 39 on 31, aided by Andrew Russell's burst cameo of 24 off 12 balls. Their collaboration also added a significant amount of movement to the die.
Adil Rashid was the standout bowler for the Warriors, taking 2 wickets for just 14 runs in his 4 overs. Harmeet Singh impressed with the 1/22 figures. However, the rest of the bowlers, including Milne (2/37), failed to contain the Knight Riders in the closing stages, allowing them to finish and progress.
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David Willey and Jason Holder shine in a great bowling display
Chasing 160, the Warriors struggled from the start, losing Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the first part and Jason Roy soon. Willey finished the top order with a fine spell, taking 3/19 in his four overs, including the vital wickets of Kohler-Cadmore and Roy. Holder was also effective, taking 4/23 and disrupting the middle order with his variations.
When Rohan Mustafa (20 out of 19) and Hello Paul (21 from 16) tried to settle the innings, received little help from other batsmen. Tim SoutheeA brave 24 from 11 was too little, too late. Sunil Narine he bowled economically, scoring just 16 runs in his four overs, which prevented the Warriors' chase. Mayers sealed the victory with a clean sweep of the tail, finishing with figures of 2/16. The Warriors were eventually bowled out for 129 in 19.3 overs, giving the Knight Riders a deserved victory. The Knight Riders picked up two valuable points, while the Warriors were left to reassess their tactics to advance the competition.
Definite win tonight. 😌
Well done Knights! 👏#NdifeADKR | | #AbuDhabiKnightRiders | | #DPWorldILT20 | | #ADKRvSW pic.twitter.com/WUxeOCEnyE
– Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (@ADKRiders) January 15, 2025