West Indies international Sherfane Rutherford made a memorable impact at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday, showcasing his batting prowess with a spectacular century for the Northern Warriors. The right-handed batter delivered an unbeaten 103 runs off just 40 balls, featuring 10 sixes and seven fours, propelling his team to 142/4 in 20 overs. This remarkable performance not only set a new individual record for the tournament, surpassing Tom Kohler-Cadmore's 96 runs from the previous edition, but also marked only the second century in T10 history, following George Munsey's achievement in the Zim-Afro T10 in Harare earlier this year.

Reflecting on his mindset before the innings, the 26-year-old Rutherford expressed gratitude for the opportunity, emphasizing that his recent hard work was paying off. He noted, 'I was just trying to bat and back myself, trying to be in the best position, and it went well for me.' Despite Rutherford's historic innings, the Northern Warriors fell short, as UP Nawabs batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44* off 23 balls) and Andre Fletcher (75* off 27 balls) successfully chased down the total with 9 wickets in hand and 5 balls to spare.

Commenting on the result, Rutherford acknowledged the UP Nawabs' strong performance, stating, 'At the end of the day, it's cricket. I think the UP Nawabs batted well, the credit goes to them. Our fielding also let us down, but credit goes to those guys. It is part of the game. Something as professional, we need to accept this and come back stronger.' He further revealed that his pre-game net session helped him find his rhythm, allowing him to hit the ball confidently from the start.

Rutherford emphasized his preference for a natural game, saying, 'I perform well when I just perform natural game. I was looking to play every ball on its merit. For me, it's the best when I play without overthinking. So, I played the ball on its merit and gave myself the best chance.' The Northern Warriors are set to face the Bangla Tigers on November 26, and Rutherford is looking forward to some rest, joking, 'I am not a golfer and we have an off tomorrow. So now, I am just going to take as much rest as possible.'

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