Trent Boult produced a towering six off the last ball of the match in the ongoing Super Smash to help Northern Knights prevail in a low-scoring thriller against Canterbury at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
With Northern Knights needing 6 runs to win off the final ball, Boult smashed left-arm pacer Ed Nutall to six over the deep mid-wicket boundary for a maximum to leave everyone shell-shocked.
Batting first Canterbury scored 107 but at the expense of all wickets. Joe Walker was the pick of the bowlers for Northern Knights as he accounted for 3 dismissals while Ish Sodhi, Anurag Verma and Trent boult picked two wickets each.
Trent Boult on the mic 🎙 after hitting a SIX off the final ball to win it for the Northern Brave.#SparkSport #SuperSmashNZ@ndcricket @SuperSmashNZ pic.twitter.com/wAwJby3imQ
— Spark Sport (@sparknzsport) December 23, 2021
In reply, Northern Knights opener Katene Clarke batted till the end to see his team, topping the charts with 32 off just 12 deliveries with the help of 1 four and 4 maximums at a strike rate of 266.67.
The Knights were cruising when they were placed at 72/3 in 12.2 overs. However, Canterbury made a swift comeback to take the game deep. Trent Boult came to bat when the Northern Knights were tottering at 100 for eight in 19.2 overs.
He picked up a single in the very first ball he faced. The equation finally boiled down to six off the last ball, and Boult produced the big hit to take his side through. Nuttall bowled a good length delivery and Boult cleared his front leg to launch a big heave. The ball flew over the boundary leaving everyone in shock.
Watch the video here:
Throwback to last night 🤩
Six runs required from the final ball 👀
Watch the highlights and replay on demand on Spark Sport#SparkSport #SuperSmashNZ@ndcricket @SuperSmashNZ @FrankieMac71 @sumostevenson @ndcricket @SuperSmashNZ pic.twitter.com/JeWlT7mkBs
— Spark Sport (@sparknzsport) December 23, 2021
Meanwhile, Thursday’s win takes Northern Knights to the top of the points table in the ongoing Super Smash. They currently have 14 points from five matches with a net run rate of 0.577. Canterbury, on the other hand, are precariously placed in the middle of the table with eight points from four games. The Knights will next face the Central Districts on December 30 in New Plymouth.
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