Mitchell guides the Kings home against former team
Daryl Mitchell helped dig the Canterbury Kings out of an early hole and led them to a win over his former team, the Northern Knights, in the Twenty20 Super Smash yesterday.
The Black Caps all-rounder made 69 off 47 balls as the Kings won by six wickets with seven balls to spare at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
He also took 2-30 as the Kings kept the Knights to 150-7 from their 20 overs, and he was only dismissed with just three more runs required.
The Kings were reduced to 15-3 in the fourth over, with left-arm spinner Freddy Walker claiming the wickets of Chad Bowes and Jack Boyle, but Mitchell combined with his captain, Cole McConchie, to take charge of the chase.
They shared in a fourth-wicket
stand of 133 off 15.2 overs, with McConchie finishing unbeaten on 56 off 48 as Leo Carter hit the winning runs.
Jeet Raval was the main man for the Knights after captain Anton Devcich won the toss and elected to back, batting until the last over of the innings as he made 70 off 55 balls.
Devcich contributed 35 off 22 himself to give his side some early momentum, but the only other innings of note was Mitchell Santner’s 19-ball 23.
The Knights were 144-4 with nine deliveries remaining after Santner hit a six off Will Williams but only added six more runs while losing three wickets to finish on 150-7.
Legspinner Todd Astle was very tidy, conceding just 12 runs from his four overs while picking up the wickets of Joe Carter and Brett Hampton.
Freddy Walker claimed Mitchell’s wicket in the 19th over of the Kings’ innings to finish with 3-20, but by that stage, the result was in the bag.
The third-placed Kings have now opened up an eight-point lead over the Otago Volts in fourth, but will face a tough test today when they back up to host the undefeated Wellington Firebirds.
The Northern Knights meanwhile have a day off before travelling to Auckland to play the winless Aces tomorrow.