Ballance's heroics helps Yorkshire qualify

The qualifying for the Champions League T20 ended on Thursday with Auckland Aces and Yorkshire sealing berths in the main draw of the tournament in South Africa. 

Yorkshire rode on Gary Ballance and Adil Rashid's batting heroics to qualify for the main draw with a comfortable six-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago in Centurion on Wednesday.

Chasing Trinidad's 148 for nine, Ballance (64 off 37) and Rashid (33 off 27) lifted Yorkshire from a difficult position with an unbeaten 103-run partnership fifth wicket partnership.

Ballance struck as many as six sixes and two fours while Rashid decorated his innings with three hits to the fence and one over it.

With two wins from as many games, Yorkshire stormed into the main draw of the tournament from Pool 2. 

Azhar Mahmood grabbed five wickets and struck a half-century as Auckland Aces thrashed Hampshire by eight wickets to qualify for the main draw on Wednesday.

Mahmood made inroads into the Hampshire top-order as Auckland bundled out the English county team for a modest 121 in 20 overs.

Mahmood then smashed an unbeaten 31-ball-55 to steer his side to a comfortable victory with 33 balls to spare.

Auckland thus become the first team to qualify for the main tournament, starting Saturday. 

The New Zealand T20 champions have won both their qualifying matches, having beaten Sialkot Stallions on Tuesday.

The result reduced the final match of the Pool 1, between Sialkot Stallions and Hampshire, to a dead rubber with the two teams out of race for a spot in the main competition.

Yorkshire produced a clinically all-round performance to defeat Uva Next by five wickets in the Champions League Twenty20's opening qualifying match in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

Chasing 151 for victory, English side Yorkshire completed the task with three balls to spare at the New Wanderers Stadium.

David Miller (39 not out) and Adil Rashid (36 not out) were the top scorers for the winners.

Miller, who came back after retiring hurt, along with Rashid, then finished the job for Yorkshire, giving them hope of qualifying for the main tournament that kicks off on Saturday.

Miller struck four fours and a six during his 29-ball knock while Rashid found the fence two times and cleared it once during his 30-ball innings.

Sialkot Stallions went back home with some pride as they beat Hampshire by six wickets in their inconsequential Pool 1 qualifying match in Johannesburg.

Stallions did a good job by restricting Hampshire to 143 for eight after electing to bowl and then overcame a poor start to overhaul the target with five balls to spare.

Left-handed batsman Haris Sohail played a vital unbeaten knock of 63 runs and raised a 96-run match-winning partnership with skipper Shoaib Malik (39) for the fourth wicket in Stallions' win.