CLT20 2014: Northern Knights vs Hobart Hurricanes - Heroes of the match

The 9th match of the Champions League T20 2014 was played between Northern Knights of New Zealand and Hobart Hurricanes of Australia. Northern Knights’ winning streak was brought to an end by an imperious Hurricanes side who outplayed the Kiwis with both bat and ball.

#5 Tim Southee

Tim Southee, arguably one of the best swing bowlers in the modern era, blossomed with both bat and ball despite ending up on the losing side. Southee picked up a wicket off his four overs which went for just 29 runs. Wielding the willow Southee whacked two sixes to take his team to a modicum of respectability.

#4 Ben Hilfenhaus

The Australian fast bowler got rid of the dangerous Kane Williamson to fortify Hurricane’s chances of winning the game. Hilfenhaus sent Willaimson back to the pavilion in the third over and succeeded with a peach that swung into the left hander to rattle the stumps. He left the Kiwi side reeling, picking up their fourth wicket when BJ Watling was caught in front off a full toss that swung.

#3 Scott Styris

The veteran from New Zealand, Styris bowled 4 overs for just 28 runs, and then came back to blitz 37 runs from 27 balls including 4 fours and a six. The senior most batsman in the team, who admitted that he has been the base of many age-based jokes, proved that the old wine still exists in the new bottle.

#2 Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik, at long last produced a T20 innings of substance when he hit 45 runs in 22 balls at a whopping strike rate of 204.54. The Pakistani, who hit two sixes made sure that Hobart’s innings was not bogged down against the slower bowlers in the middle overs as he skillfully manipulated the field. Malik who remained unbeaten put together an important match winning partnership of 100 runs with Blizzard to take the Aussie team to a mammoth 178.

#1 Aiden Blizzard

Blizzard who gave a fairy tale ending to the Hurricanes innings in the last match, once again vouched for his big hitting ability by blitzing 62 runs off just 43 balls at a strike rate of 144.18. The Australian batsman who was given a reprieve when he was dropped by Ish Sodhi off his own bowling, made the most of his good fortune by slamming boundaries to all parts of the ground. The centrepiece, however was the four fours he hit in the 19th over off Trent Boult that gave the much needed surge to the Hurricanes innings.