Qualifier 2 of Global T20 Canada saw the Montreal Tigers defeat the Vancouver Knights to secure a coveted position in the finals. Their efforts with the ball were led by Abbas Afridi (5/29) who picked up five wickets, including a hattrick and Sherfane Rutherfords’s (48*) last over heroics with the bat that ensured the Tigers won by 1 wicket and 3 balls remaining. The Montreal Tigers will take on the Surrey Jaguars in the final clash of the tournament on Sunday, at the TD Cricket Arena in Brampton.
The Montreal Tigers won the toss and elected to field first. The Vancouver Knights had a steady start to the innings despite losing Vritya Aravind (7) early. At the end of the powerplay, the Knights were 35/1.
Mohammad Rizwan (39) and Corbin Bosch (36) built yet another essential partnership of 57 runs. However, the momentum switched rapidly when the Knights lost four wickets in just as many balls.
The innings went from 90/1 to 90/5 as Corbin Bosch triggered the collapse when he was scalped by Abbas Afridi. The very next delivery saw Abbas Afridi dismiss Rassie Van Der Dussen (0) followed by Najibullah Zadran (0), completing the bowler’s hattrick. The first ball of the next over saw Mohammad Rizwan (39) also dismissed by Ayaan Afzal Khan. Following this, Fabian Allen (10) was Abbas Afridi’s fifth victim of the day. The Vancouver Knights finished at an above-par score of 137/6.
In response, the Tigers had an explosive start. Muhammad Waseem (13) struck two maximums in the first over before he was dismissed by Corbin Bosch. Chris Lynn (7), Srimantha Wijeyeratne (6), and Dilpreet Singh (2) followed soon after.
At the end of the powerplay, the Tigers were struggling at 37/4. Dipendra Singh Airee (25) and Sherfane Rutherford (48*) came together to stabilize the run chase, putting on a 43-run partnership.
With 15 runs needed in the last over, and only a wicket in hand, a composed Sherfane Rutherford launched Rayyan Pathan for three consecutive sixes to earn the Tigers a sensational victory.
Brief Scores of Vancouver Knights vs Montreal Tigers
Vancouver Knights – 137/6 in 20 overs, (Mohammed Rizwan – 39 (33), Corbin Bosch – 36 (28), Harsh Thaker – 26 (21), Abbas Afridi – 5/25, Ayaan Afzal Khan – 1/30
Montreal Tigers – 141/9 in 19.3 overs (Sherfane Rutherford – 48* (34), Dipendra Singh Airee – 25 (28), Ayaan Afzal Khan – 18 (14), Junaid Siddique – 4/22, Fabian Allen – 2/15, Corbin Bosch – 2/18)
Result: Tigers won by 1 wicket and 3 balls remaining.
