Trent Boult set up the demolition job for MI New York but Sherfane Rutherford put in a solo show to keep Los Angeles Knight Riders in the game, but their 154 for 8 was never going to be enough to test the strong MINY batting. Monank Patel and Nicholas Pooran hit half-centuries in reply, and the target was crossed with 13 balls in hand. LAKR are now all-but out of the race to the MLC 2025 playoffs, while MINY have just about kept their flagging hopes alive.

Things happened in a bit of a rush after MINY opted to field upon winning the toss, with Boult bowling three overs inside the powerplay and picking up a wicket - all bowleds - in each of them. The first wicket came off the first ball, with an inswinger going past Unmukt Chand's attempted drive to hit timber. In his next over, Boult got one to shape in - and keep low - off a good length and took care of Andre Russell.

And in his third, with Andre Fletcher coming down the track, Boult sent in a cross-seam delivery on a length and got it to deviate enough to pick up his third.  Boult came back for the 19th over to remove Rutherford to complete his haul, but only after Rutherford had created a bit of a flutter in the MINY camp.

Walking out with the scoreboard reading 29 for 3, Rutherford took control of the innings - with almost no support from any other batter till No. 8 Matthew Tromp got into double-digits in a stand of 30 for the seventh wicket - and dragged LAKR to a semblance of respectability.

His 86 came off 44 balls, and included five fours and six sixes.  The reply was fairly straightforward. Sunil Narine removed Quinton de Kock in the third over, but then LAKR got their next wickets only after 13.4 more overs as Monank (56 in 44 balls) and Pooran, scratchy to start with before getting a move on, added 112 runs for the second wicket.

The partnership lasted 84 balls, with Pooran contributing 58 off 46 balls and Monank 46 off 38.  When Russell finally removed Monank, MINY had 20 runs to get from 3.2 overs, and needed only a fraction of those as Pooran and Kieron Pollard rushed them to the target. Pooran finished on 62 not out off 47 balls with six fours and two sixes, while Pollard hit two sixes in his six-ball 14 not out. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)