Sharjah Warriorz held their composure in a gripping low-scoring thriller to defeat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by four wickets at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday, keeping the DP World ILT20 Season 4 playoff race wide open.
The victory lifted the Warriorz to six points with two matches still to play, setting up a fierce battle for the remaining playoff spots.
Early Carnage Leaves Knight Riders Reeling
The Knight Riders’ innings unravelled almost immediately as Taskin Ahmed and Wasim Akram ripped through the top order under the lights.
Taskin struck in the opening over to remove Phil Salt, before Wasim trapped Brandon McMullen LBW in the second. Taskin then dismissed Alex Hales in the third, and Wasim followed it up with a historic wicket-maiden in the fourth, the first maiden by a UAE player in ILT20 history, removing Liam Livingstone for a duck.
At 10/4, the Knight Riders were in deep trouble. Alishan Sharafu and Sherfane Rutherford attempted to rebuild, taking the score to 28/4 by the end of the powerplay, but spin tightened the noose. Sikandar Raza broke their stand, dismissing Sharafu, and the Knight Riders limped to 51/5 at the halfway mark.
Rutherford Fights Back, Rashid Finishes Strong
Rutherford counterattacked with a fluent 44 off 36 balls, finding support from Unmukt Chand as the pair added a crucial 52-run stand to steady the innings. Rutherford shifted gears in the 15th over, striking a six and two boundaries off Nathan Sowter to inject momentum.
However, just as the Knight Riders threatened to push beyond par, Dwaine Pretorius removed Rutherford in the 17th over. Adil Rashid then took control at the death, dismissing Chand before returning in the final over to remove Jason Holder and Andre Russell. Rashid finished with an influential 3 for 18 as the Knight Riders were restricted to 134/9.
Holder, Narine Keep Pressure On Warriorz
Chasing a modest target, the Warriorz were jolted early. Jason Holder removed Johnson Charles in the second over, while Ajay Kumar bowled Monank Patel soon after.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore anchored the innings with a patient 30, striking three boundaries in a single over, but Sunil Narine applied the brakes through the middle overs. Kohler-Cadmore and Sikandar Raza kept the chase alive before Narine trapped Kohler-Cadmore LBW, leaving the Warriorz 58/3 at halfway.
Rew And Raza Steer Late Charge
James Rew then took charge, striking timely boundaries and rotating the strike expertly alongside Raza. The pair added 57 runs off just 35 balls, dragging the Warriorz back on course.
Raza fell in the 18th over, Ajay Kumar’s second wicket, and Holder bowled a superb penultimate over to leave 12 required from the final six balls. But Rew, calm under pressure, and Adil Rashid guided the Warriorz home off the final delivery. Rew finished unbeaten on 42 from 29 balls, sealing a vital win.
Captains Reflect On Fine Margins
Player of the Match Adil Rashid praised his role at the death.
It was pleasing to contribute in a situation where things could easily have gone the other way, especially bowling the 18th and 20th overs. Having played against Jason and Andre for a long time does help, but thankfully the plans came off.
Knight Riders skipper Jason Holder lamented missed opportunities.
We didn’t put enough runs on the board, although full credit goes to our bowlers for the way they fought and took the game deep. If we had kept wickets intact in the powerplay, the momentum could have shifted.
Brief Scores: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 134/9 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 44, Unmukt Chand 24; Adil Rashid 3/18, Wasim Akram 2/12, Taskin Ahmed 2/41) Sharjah Warriorz 135/6 in 20 overs (James Rew 42* , Tom Kohler-Cadmore 30, Sikandar Raza 28; Ajay Kumar 2/29, Jason Holder 2/25) Player of the Match: Adil Rashid.
