Vancouver, October 3: Zaheer Khan co-owned Vancouver Anchors and Sikandar Raza-led Mississauga Masters secured their places in the semi-finals of Canada Super 60 Season 2 on Friday, as the league stage moved towards its business end. Moeen Ali, Sam Billings and George Munsey also featured prominently on a day that saw Vancouver, White Rock Warriors, and Mississauga all record victories. Moeen struck 32 off 15 balls as Vancouver Anchors chased down Toronto Sixers’ 111/7 with two balls remaining, while Billings produced the day’s most explosive individual innings, smashing 72 off just 24 deliveries to power White Rock Warriors to 140/5 against Montreal Royal Tigers. Mississauga Masters then completed an unbeaten league campaign with a 33-run win over Brampton Blitz, moving to four wins from four matches.
The results have left Mississauga Masters at the top of the men’s points table with eight points from four matches, followed by Vancouver Anchors on six. Toronto Sixers and Brampton Blitz are both on four points, with Toronto ahead on net run rate, while White Rock Warriors have two points and Montreal Royal Tigers remain without a win.
Vancouver Anchors made it three wins from four matches after beating Toronto Sixers by seven wickets. Toronto posted 111/7, with Imad Wasim making 21 off 11 and Kieron Pollard adding 18 from 11, but Vancouver’s chase was driven by Martin Andersson’s unbeaten 31 off 20 and Moeen’s 32 from 15 balls. Moeen struck four sixes at a strike rate of 213.33 before falling to Daniel Sams in the ninth over, after which Andersson and Obus Pienaar completed the chase at 112/3 in 9.4 overs. Akhil Kumar also made an impact with the ball, taking 3/20 from his two overs.
Billings produced an extraordinary counter-attacking display in White Rock Warriors’ 13-run win over Montreal Royal Tigers. Coming in after the Warriors had lost two early wickets, the England wicketkeeper-batter smashed 72 from only 24 balls, including four fours and eight sixes, at a strike rate of 300. Billings was dismissed at 133/4 in the 9.3 over, but his innings had already powered White Rock to 140/5, with Dwaine Pretorius adding an unbeaten 24 from 10 balls. Montreal responded with 127/9, despite Ali Nadeem’s 37 off 16, as Brett Hampton’s 3/29 helped White Rock secure their first win of the campaign.
Mississauga Masters maintained their perfect record by beating Brampton Blitz by 33 runs. The Masters finished on 128/6 before restricting Brampton to 95/7, taking their record to four wins from four matches and giving them a clear position at the top of the standings. George Munsey had already made an impact earlier in the competition with 30 off 11 balls against White Rock, and the Scotland batter remains part of a Mississauga batting unit that has also produced major contributions from Alex Lees, David Wiese and Sikandar Raza.
The women’s competition also reached its decisive stage, with Toronto Sixers Women beating Vancouver Anchors Women by nine wickets in the eliminator. Anchors Women were restricted to 65/5 in 10 overs, with Laura Harris making 25 off 14 and captain Fatima Sana Khan scoring 20 off 15. Toronto chased the target in just 7.2 overs, led by an unbeaten 37 from 18 balls by Bess Heath, while Maddy Villiers added 14. Toronto will now face Vancouver Warriors Women in the final.
Where to watch
Canada Super 60 Season 2 is available in Canada on CBC and CBC Gem, while in India, the tournament is being broadcast on Unite8 Sports 2 and streamed live on FanCode.
Brief Scores
Toronto Sixers 111/7 (10) lost to Vancouver Anchors 112/3 (9.4) by 7 wickets; Montreal Royal Tigers 127/9 (10) lost to White Rock Warriors 140/5 (10) by 13 runs; Brampton Blitz 95/7 (10) lost to Mississauga Masters 128/6 (10) by 33 runs; Vancouver Anchors Women 65/5 (10) lost to Toronto Sixers Women 69/1 (7.2) by 9 wickets.