This game may have been a dead rubber, but Barbados Tridents and Northern Knights approached their final engagement in the Champions League T20 in all seriousness, battling till the final over. In the end, Tridents secured a six-wicket victory, its first of the tournament.
With 12 runs needed off the final over, James Franklin — incidentally, a Kiwi — clubbed a six and a four as Tridents chased down the target of 138 (in 19 overs, revised due to rain) with two balls to spare.
Dilshan Munaweera ensured Tridents set off at a brisk pace, striking four boundaries, before he fell to an excellent, one-handed catch at cover by Daryl Mitchell. Jason Holder sought to carry on in the same vein but the momentum was disrupted by Ish Sodhi. The leg-spinner removed Raymon Reifer and Holder, in the space of three balls, to reduce Tridents to 49 for three.
Jonathan Carter and Franklin then settled down to lead Tridents homewards, adding 56 (48b) for the fourth wicket.
Asked to bat, Knights endured a jolt early on, losing Kane Williamson in the second over. Devcich and Daniel Flynn took up the rebuilding job in earnest, constructing a partnership of 60 (50b).
Bradley-John Watling and Tim Southee then helped move the score along in the late overs with entertaining cameos as Knights managed 135.
Teams :
Barbados Tridents : Dilshan Munaweera, Raymon Reifer, Jonathan Carter, James Franklin, Elton Chigumbura, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Kyle Mayers, Ashley Nurse, Rayad Emrit (c), Ravi Rampaul.
Northern Knights : Kane Williamson, Anton Devcich, Daniel Flynn (c), BJ Watling, Daryl Mitchell, Scott Styris, Mitchell Santner, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.