Warriors v Chennai, Champions League final, Johannesburg

Dhoni's Chennai seek victory for one last time

The Preview by Sriram Veera in Johannesburg

September 26, 2010

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Match facts

Sunday, September 26
Start time 1730 (1530 GMT)

	The Champions League final will be this Chennai outfit's last competitive game ahead of the IPL player auction in November © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | Davy Jacobs Matches: Warriors v Chennai Super Kings at Johannesburg Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Chennai Super Kings | India | South Africa | Warriors

Big Picture

It's tempting to bill the final as the clash of captains: Davy Jacobs v MS Dhoni. It makes sense too. Jacobs is an interesting character. He's extremely driven and has always wanted captaincy. He thinks it's his destiny to lead this Warriors side. They hadn't won a thing for 18 years until he came along. It's his team. It's his passion, his life. And he is a fiercely ambitious young man.

Jacobs hasn't played a game for South Africa yet but, when asked what his plans are, he said he would like to be the vice-captain to Johan Botha in the Twenty20 international team. And there was no trace of arrogance. He said it as though it was a given and, in his mind, it is. A couple of days ago South Africa's Test, ODI and Twenty20 sides were selected for the home series against Zimbabwe and the tour of the UAE. Jacobs wasn't in them. Rest assured, he won't stop busting his gut till he gets in. He's that kind of a man.

Tonight, after the successful semi-final, he said: "The team that wants it more will win tomorrow." This is where this gets complicated.

If this was just another final, it would not be far-fetched to say that Jacobs desires victory more than Dhoni does. But it's not just another final. It's the last time that this group of players will play together for Chennai and Dhoni has said he wants a perfect farewell. "Emotionally we are quite attached but unfortunately we won't be able to retain the same team. We want to do well as this is the last tournament. The way we have gelled in the last three years [is great]."

Dhoni's leadership has its share of admirers. He tries to ensure that he appears calm in the middle, he knows his teams' weaknesses, he definitely knows its strengths and, like most successful captains, he gets his share of luck.

It will perhaps come down to the pitch then. Jacobs said the Wanderers track will offer pace and bounce and he expects Makhaya Ntini to fire on the big day. But things even out. Dhoni has Doug Bollinger and Albie Morkel, who returned from injury and produced a excellent spell against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The edge in the seam attack will be with Chennai if Morkel can reprise that semi-final performance. He has often failed to be consistent in the Twenty20 format. Chennai's spin attack comprises Muttiah Muralitharan and R Ashwin, Warriors have Nicky Boje and Johan Botha. Advantage Chennai?

And so we come to the batting. Chennai didn't have to face the pace of Dale Steyn in the last game and ended up with a massive total. Can Ntini and co strike fear in their camp? But Chennai do bat deep, at least deeper than Warriors. It's difficult to pick a winner.

Team news

Both teams don't have any injury problems and are likely to go with unchanged sides.

Chennai(probable): 1 M Vijay, 2 Michael Hussey, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 S Badrinath, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 S Anirudha, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Doug Bollinger, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 L Balaji

Warriors (probable): 1 Davy Jacobs (capt), 2 Ashwell Prince, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 Justin Kreusch, 5 Mark Boucher (wk), 6 Craig Thyssen, 7 Johan Botha, 8 Nicky Boje, 9 Rusty Theron, 10 Makhaya Ntini, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Watch out for ...

Ashwell Prince has been almost anonymous but he can be the guy who turns it on for Warriors in the final. He is the man who walked up his coach last year and said he wanted to open. He starred in the final of both the Pro20 and Pro-40 tournaments. While the attention will be on the explosive Jacobs, it might be Prince who performs the jailbreak against Chennai. His coach Russell Domingo says he has not seen a more determined cricketer than Prince. "He is calm and brings so much stability to this youthful team."

Albie Morkel can make or break the game tomorrow. He bowled fast spell in the last game during which he troubled Bangalore with seam movement and bounce. But Morkel's game can also disintegrate quickly. He is far from consistent and his contest with the Warriors' openers could decide the game.

Quotes

"Nicky Boje has a couple of ODI tons as an opener. And Botha can bat. So I am not worried that Botha is at No 6. It has worked for us so far."
Davy Jacobs, the Warriors captain, on his team's batting line-up

ShareThis retweet9 Lions v Bangalore, CLT20 2010, Johannesburg

Kohli, Kumble take Bangalore to semis

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga

September 21, 2010

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Royal Challengers Bangalore 160 for 4 (Kohli 49*, Pandey 44) beat Lions 159 for 6 (Petersen 45, Vinay Kumar 2-23, Kumble 1-13) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	He may have stumbled in the home stretch against Mumbai, but there was no stopping Virat Kohli against Lions © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Analysis : How the teams can qualify for the semi-finals Matches: Lions v Royal Challengers Bangalore at Johannesburg Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: India | Lions | Royal Challengers Bangalore | South Africa

It was nearly another heartbreak for Virat Kohli. Chasing a below-par total, thanks to Anil Kumble's four overs for 13 runs and Alviro Petersen's wicket, Royal Challengers Bangalore nearly messed it up, staying behind the required rate for 16 overs. Nerves began to show when Kohli ran Robin Uthappa out in the 15th over, and followed it up with plays-and-misses in the 16th. However, with 43 required off four overs, Kohli pulled Bangalore out of the hole he seemed to have dug them, hitting Ethan O'Reilly for six, six, and four. It was a cruise after that, making Bangalore the first IPL team to have made it to a Champions League T20 semi-final. Uthappa wasn't angry anymore.

Two nights ago, Kohli was down on his haunches, inconsolable after he fell just short of pulling off an improbable chase against Mumbai Indians. Then at least he had Rahul Dravid to pat his back. Tonight, after he called Uthappa for a non-existent second and then changed his mind, he was all alone, down on his haunches, until Cameron White came out to bat.

In the next over, Kohli top-edged one, refused a single to White, and was beaten twice. It was a gradual turn, but what had looked an easy chase, especially after a 53-run opening stand between Rahul Dravid and Manish Pandey, was now almost out of hand because there hadn't been the urgency earlier to score quickly.

Kohli, just 23 off 20 then, would have seen himself as part of the problem. He was about to become the solution. It all started with his favourite shot. O'Reilly missed a yorker by inches and Kohli flicked it off the pads for a flat six. A low full toss followed; dispatched over long-on. A length ball then, which went past extra cover for four. In three balls, the required rate was down to the original eight an over, and that Uthappa run-out was a distant memory.

The Lions were not so lucky with run-outs. Alviro Petersen and Vaughan van Jaarsveld were punishing Bangalore in a third-wicket stand when van Jaarsveld backed up for a second run that didn't exist. He had taken those two steps that ensure a second should there be a fumble. As it turned out, there was no fumble. But van Jaarsveld slipped while turning back and was run out. Lions were 74 for 3 at the end of that over, the eighth, but could manage only 59 in the next nine as Kumble's smart bowling and tactics choked their innings.

The run-out not only ended a partnership worth 54 off 26, it gave Kumble a look-in. Like Kohli, Kumble was looking for redemption of his own. It was when he dropped Dwayne Bravo in their previous game that they turned towards defeat. Tonight he was at the heart of Bangalore's comeback.

Kumble followed that run-out with an over that went for just four, and then introduced Kohli in an inspired move. Even though one over in between, bowled by Dillon du Preez, went for 10, Lions were finding it difficult to score off Kumble and Kohli. While Kumble gave Petersen and Neil McKenzie zero room, Kohli, a Chris Harris clone when bowling, mixed his cutters and wide yorkers well.

McKenzie's couldn't match the earlier run-rate, or one that was required for a challenging total. In the four overs following that run-out, Petersen, who was scoring at two runs a ball without taking risks, got to face just nine balls, and McKenzie scored just 15 off the other 15. The edginess pushed Petersen into a slog-sweep against Kumble. The predictable result was an uprooted off stump.

Kumble and Kohli refused to release the choke hold as Lions dragged towards 121 by the end of 16 overs. McKenzie continued to struggle, kept moving all around in the crease, and Dale Steyn's yorkers proved too good in the end. A frustrated McKenzie finally got run out for 39 off 35 before Frylinck added respectability to the total with two sixes in the last over.

The Lions would go on to add more respectability to it with spirited fielding and stable bowling, but it was to be Kohli's night.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Lions 46 13 5 57/2 48/2 0/4 Bangalore 44 17 4 38/0 48/0 (16-19) 1/1

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at Cricinfo

Guyana v South Australia, CLT20 2010, Johannesburg

Guyana fail to deny South Australia 100% record

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran

September 21, 2010

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South Australia 191 for 6 (Ferguson 55, Borgas 48) beat Guyana 176 for 7 (Sarwan 70, Harris 3-33) by 15 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Guyana had their moments in both innings, but could not do enough for a victory © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Analysis : 'We haven't hit our peak yet' - Ferguson Features : Guyana's best not enough for victory Matches: Guyana v South Australia at Johannesburg Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Australia | British Guiana | Guyana | South Australia | West Indies

South Australia had already strolled into the semi-finals and seemingly had little to gain against the also-rans from Guyana in their final league match, but still benefited as their largely untested middle-order got a thorough and much-needed workout in Johannesburg. Callum Ferguson made a typically intelligent half-century and, with assistance from No. 5 Cameron Borgas, helped South Australia preserve their 100% record in the league phase by powering the Redbacks to their highest total of the tournament.

The other challenge for South Australia was for their bowling attack to manage without the furious pace of the injured Shaun Tait, a test they barely passed after Ramnaresh Sarwan made Guyana's first half-century of the tournament to make the game much less of a mismatch than was initially feared.

It was easily Guyana's best performance of the tournament, troubling South Australia with the new ball and then remaining in the hunt for much of the chase despite facing a mammoth target. In perfect batting conditions, Sarwan exploited the short boundary towards long-off to siphon plenty of runs, and was well supported by the youngsters, Richard Ramdeen and Steven Jacobs, as Guyana asked South Australia's bowlers plenty of questions.

Perhaps Guyana's best phase of the match was the Powerplay after being asked to bowl. Seven deliveries into the innings, South Australia had cracked three boundaries to sprint to 15 but seamer Paul Wintz, who was clobbered by Kieron Pollard on his debut against Mumbai Indians, managed to extract some bounce to remove Daniel Harris and slow the scoring.

Then, the tournament's highest run-getter, Michael Klinger, was undone by a back-of-the-hand delivery from Christopher Barnwell, and holed out to midwicket. In the next over, Wintz served up the ball of the innings - a yorker that speared into Graham Manou's boot and then onto off stump. South Australia were 41 for 3. The lowest contribution by their top three wickets previously in the tournament was 127.

Ferguson and Borgas put on 88 for the fourth wicket with little risk, and set the tone as their side plundered 117 in the final nine overs. Guyana were left to rue what might have been after being on top at the halfway stage of the innings, with their spinners - the architects of their Caribbean T20 triumph - keeping the heavy-hitters of South Australia quiet.

The carnage began in the 14th over when Guyana's fifth bowler Jacobs, an offspinner who doesn't believe in flight, overstepped twice and had one of his two consecutive free-hits smashed over cover by Ferguson for the first six of the innings. One legitimate delivery cost 12 runs, after which there was no reining South Australia in.

Before that, there had been only three boundaries in an eight-over spell when Ferguson and Borgas rebuilt. Despite not offering any threat, Jacobs was given another over - the 17th - which Ferguson and Derwin Christian hammered for 22. Jacobs finished with 3-0-50-0. Two sixes and four fours in the final three overs sent South Australia rocketing to 191. Strangely, Wintz, who was so impressive with the new ball, bowled only three overs.

Just like when they were bowling, Guyana were the more impressive side for more than half the innings when they batted. Their finest batting patch was the 56-run stand between Sarwan and Jacobs. They were together for five overs, each of which was taken for at least ten runs, which meant that at the end of the 12th Guyana were at a solid 106 for 2.

The chase spluttered with the loss of three wickets in four overs, but Sarwan kept fighting. A lovely square drive for four off Gary Putland was followed by a six that just cleared sweeper cover, leaving Guyana needing a stiff, but not impossible, 42 off the final three overs.

Harris had failed with the bat, but he delivered with the ball, removing Derwin Christian and, more importantly, Sarwan in the space of three deliveries in the 18th over. Guyana eventually ended up 15 runs short.

South Australia will be satisfied at coming through a tough battle ahead of the the tournament's biggest games, and relieved at keeping the winning run going, something they failed to do in the final league of the Big Bash campaign after sweeping through the initial stages of that tournament.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides South Australia 43 18 6 43/3 66/3 2/3 Guyana 52 19 5 48/1 47/3 0/7

Siddarth Ravindran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo

Lions v Guyana, CLT20 2010, Johannesburg

All-round Lions crush listless Guyana

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran

September 19, 2010

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Lions 149 for 1 (Cameron 78*, Petersen 57*) beat Guyana 148 for 9 (Jacobs 34, O'Reilly 4-27) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Richard Cameron was in sparkling form © AFP Enlarge
Related Links News : Petersen pleased with solid performance Matches: Lions v Guyana at Johannesburg Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: British Guiana | Guyana | Lions | South Africa | West Indies

Lions brushed aside an uninspired Guyana in front of a healthy Johannesburg home crowd to boost their chances of making the semi-finals. After Guyana's batsmen showed a lack of nous, and put up an inadequate total, Richard Cameron and Alviro Petersen blunted their attack to pilot the Lions to victory with nearly five overs to spare. Guyana never looked like repeating the heart-warming run of Trinidad & Tobago, who powered their way to the final of the Champions League last year, and their slim chances of reaching the final four ended with this crushing defeat.

Guyana's batsman looked to thrash almost every delivery, and mistimed plenty of strokes, but never attempted to dab the ball around to rotate the strike when things weren't going their way. A late flourish lifted them from the depths of 88 for 6 to the relative respectability of 148, which still proved too trifling a target.

The express pace of Craig Alexander and the sideways movement extracted by some of the Lions other quick bowlers proved too much for Guyana. The trouble started in the very first delivery of the match when Travis Dowlin escaped an extremely close lbw call. His short stay foreshadowed the Guyana effort: filled with thrashes and flails for little reward, and one panicky piece of running before he fell in the second over.

Ramnaresh Sarwan is the most important batsmen in the Guyana line-up and he came out firing, cracking four boundaries in five deliveries to kickstart the innings. However, his performance was cut short in the fifth over by a spectacular diving catch by John Symes, at backward point, off Craig Alexander's first delivery. In the next over, their other experienced batsman, opener Sewnarine Chattergoon who had faced only three deliveries in the Powerplays, holed out to mid-on.

From 42 for 3, debutant Steven Jacobs stepped up to push Guyana forward. He was often beaten by the movement, and his timing was mostly awry, but he slipped in some flamboyant boundaries to take Guyana to 77 after 11 overs.

Lions were well on top soon after due to some muddled running that led to the run outs of Christopher Barnwell and Esuan Crandon. Jacobs also perished, one of his mistimed strokes finally carrying to long-off. Ethan O'Reilly bowled a pinpoint yorker and a low full toss to take out middle stump twice in the 17th over to end with career-best figures of 4 for 27 and put Guyana in further trouble.

Guyana somehow managed to push their total close to 150, thanks to some free-swinging from Lennox Cush who finished on 19 off 10 including a massive six over long-off.

The chase began brightly with both Petersen and Johnathan Vandiar picking a boundary each. Lions' only moment of bother was when Vandiar nicked Esuan Crandon behind in the third over, bringing together Cameron and Petersen who bludgeoned the weak Guyana bowling to bring up Lions' second win in three games.

Petersen sparked the innings to life after a quiet spell following Vandiar's exit by thumping Esuan Crandon over long-on for a 102-metre six and then cracking him past point for four. It was mayhem after that - only two of the remaining overs of the chase went for less than 11 runs as Cameron went into overdrive. Helped by a gift-wrapped bunch of short deliveries from the Guyana spinners, Cameron soon overtook his captain with a series of pulls and carves.

Petersen was content to let Cameron take most of the strike, and quietly moved to his second consecutive half-century. Cameron more than doubled this previous career-best of 36 before the victory was completed in the 16th over, keeping Lions firmly in the mix for a semi-final spot.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Guyana 51 15 3 42/3 47/3 2/3 Lions 35 12 8 44/1 1/0 0/6

Siddarth Ravindran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo