Knights 154-5 in 16 overs (Nick Kelly 56, Corey Anderson 38) beat Canterbury Kings 146-6 in 16 overs (Henry Nicholls 40, Cam Fletcher 38*, Corey Anderson 2-31) by six runs on Duckworth Lewis at Seddon Park, Hamilton.
The Knights' BLACKCAPS stacked team found a way to win against the Canterbury Kings at Seddon Park to move ten points clear at the top of the BK Super Smash table with three games to play in the regular season.
Powerful hitting from Corey Anderson and Nick Kelly, along with masterful death bowling from South African import Kyle Abbott and Daryl Mitchell gave the hosts a six run D/L win, and move them closer to returning to Hamilton for finals cricket.
Hamilton rain meant a stop-start beginning to the match. Tim Seifert (6) and Dean Brownlie (0) were in the shed early, before a double rainbow signaled the resumption of a rain-reduced sixteen over a side match.
Daryl Mitchell (8) went dramatically for obstructing the field. Kyle Jamieson attempted to throw down the stumps while fielding his own bowling, for the TV umpire review to rule Mitchell had stuck his leg in the way of ball and send him on his way.
Corey Anderson (38) and Nick Kelly (56) made up for lost time with some huge hits into the stands and innovative laps and pulls to bring the run rate up to almost ten immediately. When they both went with a few overs to go, Mitchell Santner was able to rattle up 26 from 13 to help the Knights to 154-5.
Santner then got a luckless Tom Latham to chop on from the first ball of the innings - the Kings struggled early until Henry Nicholls and Chad Bowes took 15 from an Ish Sodhi over to get the chase back on track.
Momentum was lost momentarily when Bowes (24) then Cole McConchie (3) both fell to the b. Anderson, c. Seifert combo. Nicholls was rollicking along until Sodhi got his revenge, drawing a false shot to Daniel Flynn in the gully for 40, then picked up Andy Ellis for 12 in the 9th over.
Cam Fletcher (38*) and Leo Carter (21) formed a vital partnership with seven overs left to keep pace with the run rate, running hard and taking boundaries regularly. They looked to be on target before Kyle Abbott conceded just five from the 15th over with some fine death bowling.
The Kings needed 14 from the last to win it - Mitchell was thrown the ball for his first over, and claimed Carter's wicket and conceded no boundaries, to give the Knights a hard-fought win by just six runs.
