Liam Livingstone dazzled at Sharjah Cricket Stadium with an unbeaten 82 off just 38 balls, leading the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to a 39-run victory over the Sharjah Warriorz in the opening match of DP World ILT20 Season 4.
His powerful finish contributed to the Knight Riders’ impressive total of 233/4, marking the second-highest score in the league’s history.
Livingstone was well-supported by Sherfane Rutherford, who scored 45 off 27 balls in the middle overs, while Alex Hales (32 off 19) and Alishan Sharafu (34 off 23) provided a fast start.
In a thrilling final over, Livingstone smashed five sixes, including four consecutive ones, scoring 33 runs off Dwayne Pretorius.
Adil Rashid stood out for the Warriorz with figures of 2/31.
The Warriorz struggled to chase the challenging target, losing Johnson Charles (10 off 9), Tom Abell (6 off 6), and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (14 off 18) within the first seven overs, managing just 56 runs.
Tim David’s explosive 60 off 24 balls reignited hope, as he blasted three sixes off Piyush Chawla in the ninth over. Despite losing partners around him, David raced to a swift fifty in 21 balls, hitting six sixes.
Ajay Kumar ended David’s innings in the 13th over, leaving the score at 120/6. Kumar delivered the day’s best bowling figures of 1/22 from four overs.
With the required run rate climbing to nearly 20 runs per over, the Warriorz couldn’t keep up. Pretorius (39 off 20) offered resistance, hitting four fours and two sixes, while Rashid (25 off 11) hit three sixes, scoring 25 runs off Andre Russell in the second last over. Nonetheless, the Warriorz fell short at 194/9.
Brief scores
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders beat Sharjah Warriorz by 39 runs
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 233/4 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 82 not out, Sherfane Rutherford 45, Alishan Sharafu 34, Adil Rashid 2 for 31, Saurabh Netravalkar 1 for 33)
Sharjah Warriorz 194/9 in 20 overs (Tim David 60, Dwayne Pretorius 39, Adil Rashid 25, George Garton 2 for 24, Olly Stone 2 for 37, Andre Russell 2 for 48)
Player of the match: Liam Livingstone
