Kingsmen Secure Thrilling Victory Over Scorchers in Top End T20I Opener

DARWIN: In a captivating encounter at TIO Stadium on Friday, Kingsmen commenced their Top End T20I campaign with a noteworthy triumph, narrowly defeating Perth Scorchers by two wickets.

The Scorchers, after electing to bat first, managed to post a total of 141-7 in their 20 overs. This was largely due to Teague Wyllie’s impressive innings of 67 runs from 50 deliveries, which included four fours and two sixes.

Baxter Holt contributed 17 runs off 22 balls, while Nicholas Hobson added 13. However, the remaining batsmen struggled to make substantial contributions.

Hassan Khan, a spinner for Kingsmen, stood out with excellent figures of 3/22 in his four overs. Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets, and Milind Kumar and Asif Mehmood each secured one wicket.

In their chase of 142, Kingsmen encountered early difficulties as wickets fell rapidly, leaving them in a precarious position at 84-5 after 12.1 overs.

Shahen Jayasuriya scored 12 runs from 10 balls, Faraz Ali made only three runs from eight balls, Milind Kumar scored 11 runs from nine balls, and Tajinder Dhillon was dismissed for nine runs from 15 balls.

Opener Shayan Jahangir demonstrated resilience with a score of 38 runs from 30 balls but ultimately fell short of steering his team to victory.

Hassan Khan then joined captain Hammad Azam, and together they forged a vital 35-run partnership, alleviating the pressure. Hassan was eventually dismissed for 22 runs off 11 balls, which featured four boundaries, bringing the score to 119-6 in 15.3 overs.

Scott Kuggeleijn added 10 runs before his dismissal, but Hammad Azam remained composed and unbeaten, securing a match-winning 28 runs off 16 balls with four boundaries to clinch the win.

For Perth, Matthew Kelly spearheaded the bowling attack, claiming 3/33 in four overs, while Luke Holt took two wickets. Albert Esterhuysen, Corey Rocchiccioli, and Matthew Spoors each claimed one wicket.

The team led by Azam is scheduled to play their second match against the Adelaide Strikers at the same venue on August 17.

Their subsequent match is slated against the Pakistan Shaheens at the DXC Arena on August 19, followed by a game against the ACT Comets on August 20.

Kingsmen Squad for Top End T20 Series:

Hammad Azam (Captain), Saad Ali, Hassan Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ehsan Adil, Milind Kumar, Tajinder Singh, Nick Fletcher, Shayan Jahangir, Shehan Jayasuriya, Arya Kannantha, Umar Khan, Faraz Ali, Asif Mehmood, Ghulam Mudassar.