Brendon Diamanti produced the goods with both bat and ball as the Canterbury Wizards won a heavily reduced HRV Cup Twenty20 match by 16 runs against the Northern Knights at Mt Maunganui today.
The former international stamped his mark on a contest slashed by rain to five overs-per-side, hitting 29 not out off 13 balls as the Wizards made 49 for four then returning with his medium pace to concede just one run in the third over of the Knights’ reply.
The Knights failed to pierce the field with the regularity they required and eventually had to make do with 33 for three.
Returning from injury former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori opened for the Knights but he could manage only five off 10 balls before holing out in the deep.
His opening partner Brad Wilson made 16 off 16 and skipper Scott Styris 10 off three in a lost cause.
The Wizards bowlers fronted as a unit, keeping a full length in the damp conditions to ensure their team emerged from a two-match hit and run mission to the North Island with something to show for their travels.
Their previous outing, against the Central Stags at New Plymouth two days ago, was abandoned without a ball being delivered and that again looked to be their fate today before the rain eased in the late afternoon to allow a heavily truncated game.
