Central Districts v Wayamba, CLT20 2010, Port Elizabeth

A learning experience for both teams

Sriram Veera at Port Elizabeth

September 22, 2010

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	Wayamba captain Jehan Mubarak said his batsmen had been found wanting in the tournament © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Jamie How | Jehan Mubarak Matches: Central Districts v Wayamba at Port Elizabeth Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Central Districts | New Zealand | Sri Lanka

The game happened in Port Elizabeth. It could have well have taken place in Sri Lanka. Everything was strangely Sri Lankan about this afternoon. Port Elizabeth was cold and windy for the last couple of days. The sun was harsh today; it could well have been Colombo. The wicket strangely changed in character from the previous games. It got progressively slower. The balls occasionally stopped on the bat; they turned big and if you aren't used to these kinds of pitches, you are dead meat to the likes of Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath.

It was almost cruel. Even Jehan Mubarak laughed when asked whether he felt it was cruel on the New Zealanders. "Even we didn't expect the pitch to be so slow and spin-friendly. Someone had to win a game. This tournament has been an eye-opener for us."

It sure must have been. Barring today, Wayamba hardly looked competitive in the other games. They didn't seem too clued-in to this format; they seemed surprised at the pace at which the game unravels in Twenty20. Mubarak certainly thought so. "In the shorter format of the game you have to be very proactive and confident with the decision-making. Our batsmen have been found half-hearted on occasions. You either go for your shots fully or you don't; there are no half-measures. We have a long way to go."

You at least couldn't accuse him of hiding behind any excuses. They probably can't considering that the squad possessed eleven players with international experience. You could sense the relief in him when he talked about this victory. He knew it came on a pitch that was loaded in his team's favour. But the last ten days have been so horrific that he will take today's results.

Perhaps there was no glee in him; it seemed a sentiment of a relief. "It has been a struggle for us past the few days. It's nice to win today. Both teams have had hard tournaments."

Actually, Central Districts had a much better tournament. Way better. They had their moments in couple of games. They had Chennai on the mat with their bouncer-led attack but let them escape. They posted good totals against Victoria and Warriors but couldn't defend. Today, they stood no chance against the Sri Lankan bowlers on this pitch.

If Mubarak looked relieved, Jamie How looked downcast. There was a similarity though. If Mubarak didn't downplay the pitch factor in his win, How didn't blame the pitch for his loss. Both captains came across as individuals who didn't want to offer any excuses. "The pitch was slow but it was no means ..." How's voice trailed off. "It was a still a good wicket. Coming from New Zealand, we weren't exposed to that style of bowling.

"They did bowl well. We are not the first team I suppose they have mesmerised or run through [in these conditions]. That's one thing we can take back; the learning experience of playing these kind of good-quality slow bowling."

It was a sombre press conference. There were just four journalists. The rest were interested in the next game - the big one between Chennai and Warriors. It said much about the stature of Central Districts and Wayamba. There will probably be no space in the papers tomorrow for the game. A 150-odd word report might suffice. Some might carry a picture. Most will not.

Central Districts will blame themselves for their fate in the tournament. Their captain certainly does. He felt they had their moments but couldn't seize them. The team wasn't used to winning; they didn't know how to respond positively to those 50-50 moments where a game hangs in balance.

"If we had played better in those crucial moments, we could have pushed for that semi-final spot. It was disappointing but I guess it will make our younger guys stronger. Next time we can take those vital moments. We will come back stronger. We approached every game as how best we can win it. We selected our teams based on the conditions and we did well but unfortunately on crucial moments we slipped."

Hopefully this tournament will enable the boys to grow up to be men. The coming-of-age stories always have their embarrassing moments. Sometimes growing-up can be a cruel process.

Warriors v Chennai, CLT20 2010, Port Elizabeth

Chennai pip Warriors, both make semi-finals

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran

September 22, 2010

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Chennai Super Kings 136 for 6 (Hussey 50, Vijay 35, Kreusch 3-19) beat Warriors 126 for 8 (Jacobs 32, Ashwin 3-24)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Chennai Super Kings' openers, Michael Hussey and M Vijay, were involved in the biggest stand of the match © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Ravichandran Ashwin | Michael Hussey | Justin Kreusch Matches: Chennai Super Kings v Warriors at Port Elizabeth Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Chennai Super Kings | India | South Africa | Warriors

It's not often that both contestants of a sporting encounter celebrate at the end of a match. That strange sight was on offer in Port Elizabeth after Chennai Super Kings prevailed over Warriors in a tense league match, paving the way for both teams to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League Twenty20 at the expense of Victoria.

Chennai's chances seemed to have evaporated when they stumbled to 136 after choosing to bat in a must-win match, but on a spin-friendly track their strategy of packing the team with slow bowlers paid off as they tenaciously defended that total to set up an all-IPL semi-final against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Durban.

Briefly, midway through the chase, it looked as though an IPL team would break the hearts of the home crowd for the second day in a row but it was the Chennai fans who faced some panicky moments when Justin Kreusch and Mark Boucher revived the Warriors with a 44-run fourth-wicket stand.

Two Boucher sixes off Shadab Jakati left Warriors needing a gettable 32 off three overs with seven wickets remaining and two set batsmen at the crease. Chennai's edginess was shown by Muttiah Muralitharan's tirade at S Badrinath after a run-out chance was muffled following some kamikaze running between the wickets in the 16th over.

R Ashwin, battered in the Super Over against Victoria, then returned to virtually ensure David Hussey's side will be returning home early. His carrom ball worked to perfection in the 18th over, foxing both Kreusch and Boucher, to swing the game Chennai's way, though a four in between raised the biggest cheer of the day as it confirmed Warriors' qualification - they needed 109 to seal a place in the final four. Chennai's key bowlers, Doug Bollinger and Murali, then held their nerve against Warriors' non-specialist batsmen to preserve their team's 100% record of progressing from the league phase of every tournament they have played in so far.

Victoria would never have felt more confident of making the semi-finals than when Warriors captain Davy Jacobs was batting in his usual thrill-a-minute style to power the chase of a seemingly inadequate target early on. Jacobs survived in the second over when the ball rolled off his bat onto the stumps and Warriors confidently progressed to 38 for 1 in the Powerplays, but Chennai clawed back after that.

Shadab Jakati and Murali choked the runs, before Jacobs fell to a well-judged overhead catch from Michael Hussey at deep midwicket. Three overs later, Suresh Raina's magic arm earned a wicket with his third delivery to further slow down the home team. In seven overs after the Powerplays, Warriors made only 28 and lost two major wickets, pushing the asking rate to double digits. The game then tilted the Warriors' way before Ashwin's intervention proved decisive.

Chennai's bowlers saved the blushes of a highly rated batting unit, which struggled against a disciplined home side. Warriors have five bowlers with international experience in their line-up but it was the sixth, medium-pacer Kreusch, who made the biggest impact. His no-frills wicket-to-wicket bowling fetched him three wickets and ruined the platform Chennai's openers, Hussey and M Vijay, had constructed.

The other impressive Warriors bowler was Johan Botha, one of the tournament's most economical, who again handcuffed the opposition and dismissed Hussey in the 14th over, one ball after he reached his half-century, to change the course of the innings. From what was a potentially threatening 94 for 2, Chennai could only scrape 20 runs in the next five overs, when they should have been launching an all-out attack.

Chennai's openers had made a rock-solid start, setting up their side for what should have been a far more challenging target. Vijay was the dominant partner in a 63-run stand. Hussey was more circumspect early on, knocking the singles around - his first stroke of aggression as in the fifth over, charging down and lofting Lonwabo Tsotsobe towards long-on. A powerful reverse-sweep for four followed off Nicky Boje, before he started peppering his favourite midwicket region. There were only two dot balls in his final 21 deliveries.

His dismissal, however, sandwiching those of Raina and S Badrinath to Kreusch, derailed Chennai. They got going again only in the 19th over, when MS Dhoni clubbed 17 runs off Tsotsobe, including a giant six over midwicket. In a low-scoring encounter, 136 proved enough.

The result was a hard pill to swallow for Victoria, who are eliminated despite losing only one match in the tournament.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Chennai Super Kings 45 9 4 37/0 35/2 0/0 Warriors 55 11 3 38/1 41/5 0/0

Siddarth Ravindran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo

Central Districts v Wayamba, CLT20 2010, Port Elizabeth

Wayamba 144 for 6 (Mubarak 30, Mason 2-16) beat Central Districts 70 (Griggs 19, Mendis 3-14, Udana 3-22) by 74 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Ajantha Mendis snapped up three wickets in Wayamba's thumping win © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Ajantha Mendis | Jehan Mubarak | Isuru Udana Matches: Central Districts v Wayamba at Port Elizabeth Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Central Districts | New Zealand | Northern and Central Districts | Sri Lanka

Isuru Udana's exploits with the slower ball and Central Districts' insipid performance with the bat helped Wayamba salvage a consolation win and inflict a fourth consecutive defeat on their opponents. On a track hardly threatening for batting, Wayamba struggled through periods of stagnation to reach a score that appeared inadequate but Udana, whose stock ball is the slower delivery, made it a formidable one with the tournament's first hat-trick. He was supported well by the spinners amid a spineless chase, which undermined a disciplined effort by the Central Districts bowlers early in the day.

Central Districts had been the better of the two teams in the run-up to this game, particularly in their batting, and were favourites to avoid a whitewash after their bowlers had stifled Wayamba. There was little movement on offer, the pitch was slightly on the slower side and the bowlers had to earn their wickets with their variations. Ajantha Mendis reaped success with the googly, Rangana Herath bowled the carrom ball while Udana flummoxed the batsmen with deliveries that were just around the 100kmph mark. The frequency with which Udana delivers the slower ball would give you the impression the batsmen know what to expect. But the Central Districts top order, previously unexposed to his bowling, was unprepared and thoroughly deceived.

The start to the chase gave little indication of what was to follow as the in-form Jamie How smacked Udana for a six and a four in the square-leg region. Mendis shared the new ball and delivered, removing How with a straighter delivery that caught him plumb and enabling Udana to target the rest. The slower delivery with the new ball proved lethal due to the accompanying bounce, snaring Brad Patton who was surprised with one that cut back in and spat to catch the leading edge. Mathew Sinclair was next, losing his balance to a wide down the leg side to be stumped. George Worker then probably guessed right but played inside the line to a delivery that didn't nip back in as much as he expected and was bowled. Central Districts were 16 for 4 in the third over and Wayamba had seized control.

The spinners then shut Central Districts out. Peter Ingram doesn't like to move his feet and his failure to pick the googly resulted in a straightforward lbw; Kieran Noema-Barnett had a rush of blood when trying to catch up with the creeping required rate and holed out in the deep; Brendon Diamanti was done in by a quicker delivery from Herath, though replays suggested the ball brushed the pad on the way to the keeper; and Bevan Griggs, fighting a losing battle, fell victim to an outstanding catch by captain Jehan Mubarak, who leapt full length to his left and snapped the ball, already behind him, with one hand. Game over.

That catch was preceded by a crucial contribution with the bat from Mubarak. Unlike their collapses against Chennai Super Kings and Victoria Bushrangers, the batsmen showed greater determination to occupy the crease and build the innings, but it wasn't without struggle. Mahela Jayawardene hit the right notes with a positive start but his dismissal marked the beginning of a grind. The seamers had doled out some freebies and wides during their early stint but the introduction of Worker's left-arm spin and Noema-Barnett's medium pace choked the flow of runs.

Mahela Udawatte was the main reason for Wayamba's decline, failing to force the bowlers away. He limped to 23 off 37 balls before holing out to long-on while Mubarak had to compensate for the slow pace with some meaty hits.

Mubarak broke a 23-ball boundary drought in the 10th over with a delicate guide off Worker to the third-man boundary and drilled Noema-Barnett for two sixes. But Central Districts struck back with his wicket and just five runs in the 16th and 17th overs. Too often the Wayamba batsmen made room but failed to connect while being consistently restrained by the spate of slower deliveries and blockhole lengths. The release Wayamba needed came in the penultimate over with Shalika Karunanayake hammering Seth Rance for a straight six and carting him over extra cover, helping pick 20 with wicketkeeper Kushal Perera. The late surge infused some respectability to the score. As it turned out, they'd got too far.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Waymaba 70 9 6 44/2 45/2 1/12 Central Districts 57 5 1 35/5 2/1 (15-15.3) 0/4

Siddhartha Talya is a sub editor at Cricinfo

Chennai Super Kings v Victoria Bushrangers, CLT20 2010, Port Elizabeth

David Hussey gives Victoria win in Super Over finish

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga

September 18, 2010

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Chennai Super Kings 162 for 6 (Vijay 73, Hastings 2-22) tied with Victoria Bushrangers 162 (D Hussey 51, Finch 41, Raina 4-26, Murali 2-17). Victoria won in Super Over
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Four wickets for Suresh Raina but Victoria had the last laugh © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Features : Mixed day for Ashwin and Siddle Players/Officials: Ravichandran Ashwin | David Hussey | Clint McKay | Suresh Raina Matches: Chennai Super Kings v Victoria at Port Elizabeth Series/Tournaments: Champions League Twenty20 Teams: Australia | Chennai Super Kings | India | Victoria

Twenty20 was at its chaotic best - or worst, looking at some of the shots played - in giving Champions League T20 its first Super Over, one that Victoria Bushrangers won emphatically to stay alive in the tournament.

With 24 required off the last three overs, and David Hussey entrenched on 48, it looked like a cruise, but poor shot after poor shot gave Suresh Raina four wickets in the 18th and 20th overs. Hussey left the job unfinished, but came back to finish some with three sixes in the Super Over.

Redemption seemed to be the theme of the night. R Ashwin, though, who bowled the Super Over for Chennai Super Kings, was left on his knees, all alone despite consolatory pats on his back. Doug Bollinger, not given the Super Over, was left an angry fast bowler, kicking the ground, mouthing off, sitting in the dressing room as opposed to the dugout. It was that kind of night.

Emotions were completely in check, though, after Aaron Finch's stunning 41 off 17 at the start of the chase. Victoria needed a straightforward 59 off 50 when Muttiah Muralitharan took two wickets in two balls. They were still in control with six wickets in hand when Raina began the 18th over. Madness was about to strike.

Raina fielded the first ball, and went for a blind reverse-flick. Had he hit, he would have got Rob Quiney. Had he not tried, he wouldn't have conceded the overthrow that brought Quiney on strike. Quiney, perhaps lured by the short leg-side boundary, went to pull a length ball, and lost his middle stump. John Hastings, hero of Victoria's bowling effort, got stumped trying a massive slog as opposed to giving Hussey the strike. Twenty-one from 13. Still manageable.

Bollinger, whom Finch had hit for 23 in his first two overs, bowled three perfect deliveries for three singles before getting Hussey to hit a slower ball straight to long-off. Game over? Peter Siddle didn't think so. He backed away, and chipped Bollinger over extra cover, like a batsman would, to bring it down to 12 required off the last over.

Raina was the man enjoying the tension. He was pulling out of deliveries and smiling, he was reverse-flicking and smiling, he was accepting gifts and smiling. He was the man to go to. Clint McKay, who had got Raina's wicket with a superb slower ball earlier, dealt him another blow, nonchalantly swinging the first ball over long-off. Six off five, with three wickets in hand. Game over? Raina didn't think so. The next ball stopped a touch, and Raina was smiling again after accepting a return catch.

Dirk Nannes played along with the chaos theme, and hit the next ball straight down long-on's lap. Siddle, who should have been given the strike, now made sure he crossed. He had earlier bowled an over of three waist-high full tosses, two of them deemed beamers, one of them hit way over third man. This was time for his redemption. Again, like a seasoned batsman, he made room and lofted the hat-trick ball over extra cover.

Two off two. Last wicket standing. Mind games began. Raina pulled out of the next delivery. When he came into bowl again Siddle pulled out. Raina wasn't blinking first, and refused to bowl the next time. Asad Rauf smiled, walked a few steps down the pitch, perhaps to move out of stumps mic's range, and told Raina something.

Raina let go this time, Siddle swung, got a bottom edge through to MS Dhoni, who saw Bryce McGain trying to steal one and lobbed the ball back to Raina. Raina had blinked. He wasn't back at the stumps, and had to throw from halfway down the pitch. The overthrow cost the single that brought the scores level. One more mistake was to follow. McGain swung across the line of the last ball, and missed. Dhoni collected cleanly.

Dhoni had earlier got Finch out by persisting with Ashwin, who was hit for 14 in the second over of the innings. He again went with Ashwin, ahead of Bollinger and Raina. Finch was there to face Ashwin, who bowled flat and fast, giving him little room. Hussey was brought on strike. This was time for the ultimate redemption. The captain should have finished it off earlier. He was going to do it now.

Hussey just took half a step down the pitch and pulverised the first ball he faced out of St George's Park. This six meant more than just six runs. The massiveness. The nonchalance. Ashwin knew Hussey could get him anytime. The carrom ball that had got Flinch was forgotten. The arm ball was forgotten. All that came out was flat and full, or flat and short, and went for 2, 2, 6, and 6.

With 23 runs to defend in the Super Over, Victoria went to the master of slower balls, McKay, who didn't need to do anything clever. McKay and Hastings, though, had to produce some of the best slower balls earlier in the night to keep the target to manageable proportions.

M Vijay, with his 53-ball 73, had taken Chennai to 135 for 2 in 16 overs when Hastings and McKay intervened with three overs for 14 runs and the wickets of Vijay, Dhoni and S Anirudha. Both expertly bowled all three versions of the slower ball - offcutter, legcutter and bouncer - and Chennai and the shots, just like punctured balloons, went nowhere.

If the slower ones had the sedative effect on Chennai, Finch shook them up harshly. McKay, Hastings and Finch would have thought they had done enough, but they were required again on a mad night.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s Powerplay 16-20 overs NB/Wides Chennai Super Kings 44 11 5 37/0 27/4 3/4 Victoria Bushrangers 46 16 6 59/2 31/6 0/1

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at Cricinfo