Charles, Zampa propel Sharjah Warriorz closer to playoff spot

The Sharjah Warriorz put up a spirited performance as they banked on Johnson Charles’ 65 and some fine bowling from Adam Zampa and Adam Milne to soar to a four-wicket win against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the DP World ILT20 clash at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The win serves as a massive boost to the Warriorz chances of making it past the group stages as they climb from the sixth to third spot with eight points in nine matches.

Chasing 162, the Sharjah Warriorz were on the money from the get-go as Charles and Tom Kohler-Cadmore came out all guns blazing. They hit Ibrar Ahmad for a whopping 24 runs in the fourth over and then Kohler-Cadmore found his groove as he struck 18 in four balls against Vijayakanth Viyaskanth before holing out to deep mid-wicket. The Englishman’s brisk 39 off 21 saw the Warriorz coast to 75/1 at the end of the powerplay, scoring at a blistering pace that was almost double the required run rate.

Charles did the bulk of the scoring thereon, going after every bowler including opposition captain Sunil Narine, while Rohan Mustafa was happy to play second fiddle. Mustafa eventually fell to Narine for six runs and the run rate graph saw a slight dip, but that didn’t deter Charles. 

The Knight Riders had a chance to pick up two key wickets and claw their way back into the contest, but some sloppy fielding cost them dear. First, Charles was dropped in the 11th and he made the most of it to bring up his half century in style with a classy boundary. In the very next over, Roston Chase could not hold onto Jason Roy’s leading edge as both the Sharjah Warriorz batsmen were given a lifeline.

The home side eased their way closer to the target as Charles showcased his batting abilities. One of the best shots he played on the evening was when he moved to his right, got low and scooped David Willey for a superb boundary.

Charles looked set for a big innings but eventually fell to Narine after a match-winning knock of 65. Roy also departed soon after as Jason Holder bowled a stunning wicket maiden 16th over. The Warriorz needed 16 runs in 24 deliveries and appeared to be in the driver’s seat but surprisingly suffered a collapse. 

Tim Seifert and Ethan D’Souza fell in quick succession as the Warriorz lost three wickets for two runs. From being in complete control, they now found themselves in a spot of bother at 148/6, needing 14 from 16.

In came Ashton Agar to get the job done. The Australian approached the pressure situation with a cool head and got a head start as he smashed Terrance Hinds for a massive six in the 19th. Agar picked up four more runs off the over, leaving his side with just two runs to chase in the final over. Harmeet Singh sealed the win off the first ball as the Warriorz snapped up a four-wicket win.

Earlier, Milne gave the Sharjah Warriorz the perfect start as he dismissed Andries Gous for a golden duck with a peach of a delivery. Joe Clarke smashed Milne for three successive boundaries in his next over but it was the bowler who had the last laugh as Clarke nicked it behind to the keeper. Milne accounted for both openers and the Knight Riders were down to 33/2 after three overs.

Chase survived a couple of close calls, and he made the most of it as he stitched together a superb partnership with Kyle Mayers. The duo put up 58 runs for the third wicket before Zampa got the breakthrough as Chase departed after a whirlwind 28. The Knight Riders had 91 runs on the board at the halfway mark and were in good stead with Mayers firing in all cylinders.

The West Indian took charge of the Knight Riders’ batting as he brought up his fifty off just 29 deliveries and had Alishan Sharafu for company at the other end. It looked like Mayers would power his side to a huge total when Zampa struck again with the all-important wicket. He chased a full ball and holed it out to Agar after a well-made 56.

Milne was brought back into the attack in the 15th over and struck right away to outfox Narine and then Zampa bamboozled Andre Russell for three runs as the two Warriorz bowlers made merry. The Knight Riders’ run rate took a hit as they managed 130/6 with four overs to go.