Livingstone’s Blitz Powers Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to 39-Run Win Over Sharjah Warriorz
Sharjah: Liam Livingstone’s explosive 82* off 38 balls propelled the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to a commanding 39-run victory over Sharjah Warriorz in the opening match of DP World ILT20 Season 4 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The Knight Riders posted a massive 233/4, the second-highest total in tournament history.
Livingstone’s fireworks came in a late flurry, smashing five sixes in the final over, including four consecutive maximums off Dwayne Pretorius for a record 33 runs. His innings was well-supported by Sherfane Rutherford, who contributed 45 off 27, while Alex Hales (32 off 19) and Alishan Sharafu (34 off 23) laid a brisk foundation at the top. Adil Rashid was the only Warriorz bowler to make a significant impact, taking 2/31.
Chasing 234, Sharjah Warriorz stumbled early, losing Johnson Charles (10), Tom Abell (6), and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (14) within the first seven overs, leaving them struggling at 56/3. Tim David fought back with a rapid 60 off 24 balls, striking six sixes, including three consecutive maximums off Piyush Chawla. However, Ajay Kumar’s dismissal of David in the 13th over halted the fightback, and the required run-rate became insurmountable.
Dwayne Pretorius (39 off 20) and Adil Rashid (25 off 11) tried to shepherd the tail, but the Warriorz ultimately fell short at 194/9.
Earlier, Michael Pepper set a brisk tone for the Knight Riders with three boundaries in the first over before being dismissed by Pretorius. The Knight Riders reached 58/1 at the end of the powerplay, with Hales and Sharafu adding quick runs. After a brief middle-over wobble, Livingstone and Rutherford’s 95-run partnership ensured the Knight Riders maintained a strong pace, culminating in Livingstone and Andre Russell (11* off 4) finishing with a rapid 50-run stand in just 13 balls.
Player of the Match, Liam Livingstone, said:
“The boys up top played well and set a strong foundation. It took me a while to get going as the pitch was a little slow in the middle, but thankfully I found rhythm towards the end.”
Sharjah Warriorz captain Tim Southee reflected:
“That was a dangerous batting lineup and the only way to slow them down was by taking wickets. We weren’t able to do that through the middle overs or at the back end. We were a little off with the ball and probably in the field as well, and credit to the Knight Riders because they played well.”
