Kane Williamson, who is in form of his life, was instrumental in Northern Knights seven wickets win over Southern Express in a rain-shortened Champions League T20 qualifying match in Raipur today.
The New Zealanders chased down a steep 93 runs target, with three balls to spare as Williamson made a 29-ball 52, featuring seven fours and one six.
Earlier, Knights skipper Daniel Flynn decided to field and his decision went terribly wrong as Express openers Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka provide the Islanders a scorching start.
Kiwi pacers Trent Boult and Tim Southee were thrashed all over the park in a 10 over-a-side match. They got no supported from the fielders, as the Knights dropped catches on regular intervals.
Perera and Gunathilaka made most of the chances they got to put Express on course of a massive total in 10 overs. The Knights, however, pulled things back in the death overs to restrict their sub-continent opponents to 92 runs.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi maintained tight line and length and restricted the Sri Lankans but went wicketless. Boult was the pick of the bowlers for Knights as he struck twice in the penultimate over to pull things back for the Trans-Tasman side.
In reply to 92, Knights openers Williamson and Anton Devcich (14) put their team on a winning track by stitching a 41-run partnership. The Islanders failed to maintain consistent pressure on the Knights as Williamson held one end firmly.
Williamson, however, couldn’t finish the job as he was castled in the ninth over but put his team within touching distance of a clinical win the opening fixture.
