9:17 PM IST, 7:47 PM Local Time: Northern Warriors defeated Deccan Gladiators by 6 wickets with 10 balls to spare, returning to winning ways. They had a chance to boost their dented net run rate, but the middle-order batters couldn’t capitalise after Johnson Charles had set the tone with a rollicking start.

Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Deccan Gladiators got off to a rocky start, losing wickets in clusters from the outset. Trent Boult set the tone for the Warriors, removing Nicholas Pooran and David Wiese off consecutive deliveries in the opening over. While wickets kept tumbling at one end, Tom Kohler-Cadmore stood firm and scored freely from the other. He smashed 58 off 31 balls before falling to Muhammad Uzair Khan in the final over. Notably, TKC was the only Gladiators batter to reach double figures, helping his side post a respectable 87/7 in 10 overs.

Boult finished with two wickets for the Warriors, while the rest of the bowlers chipped in with one each.

In reply, Johnson Charles exploded out of the blocks, smashing 41 off 17 to give the Warriors a flying start before Noor Ahmad stopped him. Impact sub Hazratullah Zazai managed only 8 off 9, while Shimron Hetmyer (2) and Dinesh Chandimal (7) fell cheaply, triggering a mini-collapse. Despite losing four quick wickets, Thisara Perera (10*) and Azmatullah Omarzai (15*) calmly finished the job, guiding Northern Warriors to victory without further trouble.

Richard Gleeson’s 27-run over turned the match on its head. Although the Gladiators tightened things up afterward, the early damage was irreversible. Muhammad Jawadullah (2/9) and Noor Ahmad (2/13) were excellent, sharing four wickets and giving away just 22 runs in their combined four overs.