After an impressive win each to open their respective Champions League T20 2014 campaigns, the Northern Knights and the Lahore Lions will look for that second consecutive victory which will virtually guarantee them a place in the main draw of CLT20.
Where to Watch Live
The first game on Sunday in the CLT20 2014 qualifiers is scheduled for a 4 pm IST (11.30 am BST, 6.30 am ET) start with live coverage on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD1. The match can also be watched via live streaming online HERE. Catch the action in the UK and Europe on Eurosport, while viewers can also watch online through a live stream HERE.
Viewers in the US can catch all the action on ESPN, with the option available for live streaming HERE. Canada viewers will be able to view the game on Sportsnet or live onlineHERE. Middle East and North Africa viewers go HERE to watch the match online, while the match can be live streamed in South Africa and Sub Saharan HERE. Rest of the world viewers can catch all the math action via online live streaming HERE.
The Northern Knights were pretty impressive with the bat against the Sri Lankan side the Southern Express, chasing down a target of 93 in ten overs rather comfortably, thanks largely to a brilliant knock from a player you normally don't associate with the T20 game – Kane Williamson.
The New Zealand batsman's 52 from just 29 balls ensured there would be no hiccups in the run chase for the Northern Knights, after their bowlers, despite a whole host of drops in the field, had done a decent job to restrict the Southern Express to under 100.
The match got off to a much delayed start after rain decided to stay for a little while longer than expected in Raipur, but that did not stop the two teams from putting on a reasonably entertaining show to open up the CLT20 match.
"It was great to get off to a good start and get a win under our belt," said Williamson to CLT20's official website. "When a game is shortened like that it brings lot more uncertainty into it. It was nice to come off winning at the end of it.
"There were probably a few nerves early on but it was great to find our feet and play with a lot of confidence.
"We knew we had to go and play our shots when we had to get close to ten runs an over. T20 cricket is quite fickle at times; sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn't which is part and parcel of the game. It is nice to get a win tonight given the circumstances of the game."
The Northern Knights will know they face an even tougher prospect in the shape of the Lahore Lions, whose bowlers blew away the Mumbai Indians batting lineup to garner an eventually comfortable victory.
Mohammad Hafeez's decision to bowl first was justified, as his bowlers came up trumps in splendid style to keep the Mumbai Indians stars – the defending champions -- to just 135 for seven in their 20 overs.
Even if the MI bowlers made a better fist of it in the second innings, a target of 136 was never going to be enough, as Umar Akmal saw the Lahore Lions home with eight balls to spare.
Both teams opened their campaigns with a win batting second, and it is clear that both the sides are more comfortable chasing. So, it remains to be seen if either of Northern Knights or Lahore Lions can adapt to batting first and then asking their bowlers to defend a total.
