Yorkshire 4-154 (Gary Ballance 64*, Adil Rashid 33*, Yannick Ottley 1-16) beat Trinidad & Tobago 9-148 (Denesh Ramdin 59, Darren Bravo 45, Ryan Sidebottom 3-13) by six wickets.

Gary Ballance and Adil Rashid rescued Yorkshire when their team needed it, with their unbroken 103 runs partnership as Trinidad & Tobago lost the important match.

Trinidad & Tobago scored 148 runs for the loss of nine wickets at the close of the 20^th over and Yorkshire punched 154 runs with six wickets in hand and seven balls to spare.

Gary Ballance (Yorkshire) was declared ‘Player of the match’ for his explosive unbeaten knock of 64 from 37 balls.

The qualifying match of the pool 2 in Champions League Twenty20 was played on Wednesday, October 10, 2012, at SuperSport Park, Centurion.

The skipper of Trinidad & Tobago, Denesh Ramdin, won the toss and preferred to try their batting first. The decision proved fatal as they lost their three top order batsmen for 8 mere runs in three overs. Lendl Simmons was gone for seven runs whereas William Perkins and Adraian Barath were unable to open their accounts. Darren Bravo and Ramdin got together at the crease and tried to put a few runs on board with a dedicated batting.

They took the score to 37 after the last ball of the 9^th over was bowled and 13 runs were added in the next over with 1 six and 1 four. Ramdin scored two back to back fours in the 11^th over and the ball started visiting the rope at regular intervals due to brave batting by the two batsmen. The run rate picked up instantly and the first hundred of the innings was achieved on the last ball of the 15^th over.

The fourth wicket partnership contributed 93 runs in 73 deliveries when Darren Bravo was caught by Gary Ballance at long-on at the bowling of Adil Rashid for 45 from 49 balls with 2 big sixes and 3 fours. Denesh Ramdin smashed his maiden T20 fifty on the third ball of the 17^th over with a four. He was finally run out for 59 off just 40 balls that comprised 1 six and 6 fours. The late order batsmen added some useful runs as Trinidad & Tobago managed 148 runs with one wicket left in 20 overs.

Ryan Sidebottom was the star performer and grasped 3-13 whereas Joe Root, Steven Patterson and Adil Rashid held one wicket each.

Yorkshire did not have a great start either and lost both of their openers, the captain Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques for just 16 runs in 2.5 overs. Joe Root and Adam Lyth faced the rival attack with a lot of care and the latter was dropped on the fifth ball of the sixth over at 13 runs. The partnership did not last long and the next wicket fell at 44 when Lyth was clean bowled by Rayad Emrit for 18 runs. Root followed him seven runs later for 16 as Gary Ballance and Adil Rashid put their heads down.

Rashid opted to attack and hit two consecutive fours in the 10^th over and one six in the next over. The hundred of the innings appeared on board in the 15^th over and Ballance added another two sixes in the next over. Denesh Ramdin inducted seven bowlers to dislodge the partnership but without any success. The solid partnership continued and Gary Ballance thrashed his third T20 fifty with a four in the 18^th over.

Adil Rashid stood like a rock at the other end as Ballance continued with his onslaught and achieved the target by hitting 2 sixes in the 19^th over. Yorkshire piled up 154 runs for the loss of just four wickets. Gary Ballance was unbeaten for 64 off 37 mere deliveries with 6 mighty sixes and 2 fours whereas Adil Rashid secured his end with 33 from 27 off 1 six and 3 fours.

Samuel Badree, Ravi Rampaul, Rayad Emrit and Yannick Ottley were the only successful bowlers with one wicket each.

Yorkshire won the successive game and reached the group stage with a wonderful teamwork.