Highveld Lions oust last of the IPL franchises from CLT20

By Sheriff Michaels

Another match-winning show by Neil McKenzie

DURBAN, South Africa (TheSportsNEXT) October 26, 2012:The Highveld Lions stormed their way into final of the Champions League Twenty20 2012 on Thursday when they outclassed last IPL franchise in the competition Delhi Daredevils in the first semi-final by 22 runs at Kingsmead in Durban.

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The Highveld Lions also put an end to all the speculations about another South African side getting choked at the semi-finals of a big tournament by eliminating the quality IPL side Delhi Daredevils.

Highveld Lions scored 139 for 5, thanks to Gulam Bodi’s half century and 46 not out from Niel McKenzie and while Kevin Pietersen (50) did his best to make a match of the Lions’ batting performance, he lacked support from his mates as the Delhi Daredevils were restricted to 117 for nine from their 20 overs, 22 runs short of their target.

On a bouncy and seaming wicket at Kingsmead in Durban, Delhi Daredevils skipper Ross Taylor decided to bowl first after winning the toss thus relying on his bowling might to topple the Highveld Lions who like to chase down targets.

The Delhi Daredevils team management surprised all and sundry by including Australian opening batsman David Warner, who hadn’t played any game in the Champions League Twenty20 2012 before, in the team in place of Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene.

Gulam Bodi hits 3rd fifty in CLT20

Ross Taylor was hoping his bowlers would strike early with the new ball on the bouncy track with conditions favoring the new leather to move in the air quite a bit. However, Highveld Lions openers Gulam Bodi (50 from 49 – 4 fours, 1 six) and skipper Alviro Petersen (24 from 19 – 3 fours, 1 six) stayed there for 5.2 overs before Umesh Yadav got rid of Petersen with total at 34 runs.

Young South African batting sensation Quinton de Kock (11 from 13 – 2 fours) failed to force the issue and top-edged one from Ajit Agarkar when he tried to break free and blasted one in the air with Unmukt Chand judging a swirling catch to the perfection.

Alviro Petersen, surprisingly, promoted Dwaine Pretorius (3 from 6) in the batting order ahead of Neil McKenzie but the veteran Twenty20 specialist batsman eventually had to come out with a rescuing job in hand after Highveld Lions were reduced to 63 for three after 10.4 overs.

The Highveld Lions needed someone to not only stabilize the innings but also push the acceleration button to achieve a fighting total with time and balls both running out quickly.

However, Gulam Bodi and Neil McKenzie (46 not out from 28 – 4 fours, 1 six) joined hands for a brilliant partnership of 59 runs from 44 balls which resurrected the innings to a great degree.

However, two quick wickets towards the end didn’t allow the Highveld Lions to achieve that magical 150-run total as Bodi and Jean Symes (Duck) got out in a hurry and Chris Morris (3 not out from 4) couldn’t really launch his big hits against quality fast bowling of Umesh Yadav.

In the end, the Highveld Lions scored 139 for five from their 20 overs, which was very much more than a fighting total when consider the playing conditions at Kingsmead.

Umesh Yadav was the most successful bowler for Delhi Daredevils as he grabbed two wickets for 20 runs. Irfan Pathan went for 27 from his four overs, Morne Morkel took a wicket for 32 runs from his four, Ajit Agarkar captured a wicket for 28 runs, while a combination of Kevin Pietersen and Pawan Negi leaked 31 runs for a wicket from four overs.

The Highveld Lions had a huge task in hand when their bowlers took the field as they were required to strike early and Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir got rid of dangerous man Virender Sehwag for a first-ball duck as the hard-hitting batsman tried to impose him without getting hold of the playing conditions and eventually paid the price.

However, David Warner (21 from 18 – 4 fours) and Kevin Pietersen (50 from 44 – 3 fours, 1 six) put their heads down for a 35-run partnership for second wicket from 31 balls which very much undid the early damage.

While Kevin Pietersen looked good in maneuvering the ball in vacant spaces, his partners completely failed to find their feet moving at Kingsmead and India’s young sensation Unmukt Chand (9 from 20) failed to impress with his lack of ability to get accustomed to high bounce of the track.

Irfan Pathan (1 from 2), skipper Ross Taylor (1 from 5), Naman Ojha (7 from 4 – 1 six), Pawan Negi (Duck), and Aji Agarkar (2 from 7) all failed miserably to give a helping hand to Kevin Pietersen who eventually lost his wicket to Chris Morris in a bid to achieve the ever-increasing asking rate.

In the end, Delhi Daredevils were restricted to 117 for nine from their 20 overs and fell 22 runs short of their opponents’ total.

Sohail Tanvir was impressive with his pace and bounce as he took a wicket for 22 runs from his four overs. Australian fast bowler Dirk Nannes also bowled with great pace and hostility as he captured two wickets for 34 runs from his four overs. Chris Morris proved the main difference between the two sides as he gave away only seven runs from his four overs taking two wickets. The off-spinner Aaron Phangiso also took two wickets for 18 runs from his spell.

Neil McKenzie was rightly declared Man of the Match for playing yet another anchor-sheet role innings that saved the day for the South African domestic Twenty20 side Highveld Lions.

Highveld Lions enter Champions League Twenty20 Final

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Sydney Sixers complete hat-trick of victories in CLT20

By Sheriff Michaels

Sydney Sixers into Semi-Finals of Champions League Twenty20 2012

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (TheSportsNEXT) October 19, 2012: Big Bash League’s Sydney Sixers recorded their third successive victory in the Champions League Twenty20 2012 on Thursday to book them a place in semi-finals of the competition.

The Sydney Sixers defeated South Africa’s Highveld Lions by five wickets at Newlands in Cape Town which means they have won three of their four matches. After defeating Chennai Super Kings, Yorkshire, and Highveld Lions, the Sydney Sixers have left their only game against Mumbai Indians who are on the brink of elimination following a series of dismal performances.

Batting first, Highveld Lions could manage 137 for nine from their 20 overs and Sydney Sixers achieved the target from 19 overs for the loss of five wickets.

Sydney Sixers captain Brad Haddin won the toss and decided to bowl first keeping in mind Highveld Lions’ liking to chase down scores and his decision proved quite right by his bowlers.

Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc was the star of the show for the Sydney Sixers as he bagged three wickets for 19 runs from his four overs but Josh Hazlewood did the early damage as he finished with two for 18 from his four.

Gulam Bodi (61 from 44 – 4 fours, 3 sixes) once again clubbed bowlers on the favored leg-side consistently but he lacked support from the other end as skipper Alviro Petersen (5 from 6), Quanton de Kock (4 from 14), Niel McKenzie (17 from 16 – 2 fours), and Zander de Bruyn (4 from 10) all failed to impose themselves at the crease.

A late cameo by Jean Symes (23 from 16 – 3 fours, 1 six) and Chris Morris (14 not out from 9 – 2 fours) helped the Highveld Lions to a fighting total of 137 for nine.

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who was playing his last match in the Champions League Twenty20 2012, once again delivered with the ball and bat as he not only took two wickets for 25 runs but also made quick-fired 47 runs from mere 38 deliveries hitting four boundaries and three sixes.

Sydney Sixers openers Michael Lumb (22 from 22- 4 fours) and Shane Watson (47 from 38 – 4 fours, 3 sixes) gave their side a useful start by scoring 60 runs for the opening partnership from 8.3 overs before left-arm off-spinner Aaron Phangiso came on his own.

Aaron Phangiso first got rid of Michael Lumb and then removed Dominic Thornley on a first-ball-duck. Soon he captured the prized scalp of Shane Watson and brought his side back into the contention.

However, Sydney Sixers skipper Brad Haddin (32 from 21 – 1 four, 3 sixes) and Steven Smith (25 not out from 25 – 2 fours) made sure that the good work of openers doesn’t get wasted and despite of losing another couple of wickets towards the end of the innings they managed to achieve the target from final delivery of the 19^th over.

Dirk Nannes bowled beautifully for a spell of one for 16 from four overs while Aaron Phangiso was the pick of the bowlers for the Highveld Lions as he captured three wickets for 14 runs from his four overs. Rest of the bowlers were pretty ordinary with Pakistani left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir (4-0-29-0) once again failed to impress while Jean Symes was belted hard by the Sydney batsmen as he leaked 36 runs from three overs. Chris Morris also proved an expensive option as he gave away 35 runs from his three overs.

Mitchell Starc was declared Man of the Match for yet another staggering spell of fast bowling and he told the presentation party, “Playing a lot and working on a few little things, ball is coming out of the hand nicely. Like bowling at the death! Wickets in Colombo [during the ICC World Twenty20] were nice for the quicks early on. Good to bowl here with the pace and bounce. All of us [Sixers fast bowlers] are good mates."

Sydney Sixers skipper Brad Haddin said, "We didn’t start well with the ball, we fought back well, happy with the total we got to chase. We have got good cover for Watson, wish him well for the Test series. Yes, we are thinking about the semi-finals now."

Highveld Lions captain Alviro Petersen stated, "Just a couple of bad overs with bat and ball. T20 cricket is all about that. Phangiso is an underrated bowler, he has done well for us in the past couple of years."

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CLT20: Highveld Lions push Chennai Super Kings on the brink

By Sheriff Michaels

Highveld Lions defeated two IPL sides: Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (TheSportsNEXT) October 16, 2012: Highveld Lions won their second straight match at the Champions League Twenty20 2012 at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday, this time beating Chennai Super Kings by six wickets.

The match took several twists right throughout where Chennai Super Kings looked struggling to score 130 runs at one stage but ending up with a total of 159 runs and then restricted Highveld Lions to 33 runs after eight overs but they eventually managed to keep up with the asking run-rate over 10 runs an over to clinch an unbelievable victory.

Highveld Lions skipper Alvio Petersen won the toss and showed no hesitation in sending Chennai Super Kings into bat as he was well aware of their batting strength and abilities of his strong middle order batsmen.

Chennai Super Kings had six batsmen scoring above 20 runs but none of them went on to play that big innings as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34 from 26 – 2 fours, 2 sixes) was the only man to score in the 30s.

Faf du Plessis (25 from 20 – 2 fours, 1 six) and Murali Vijay (22 from 26 – 2 fours, 1 six) opened the batting for the Chennai Super Kings and the duo took the total to 44 when Morris got rid of du Plessis on fourth delivery of the sixth over.

Suresh Raina (20 from 16 – 2 fours, 1 six) was promoted up the order at number three position and he along with Vijay took the score to 69 before losing his wicket on final delivery of the 10^th over.

Chennai Super Kings needed to win this match and had to score in excess of 160 runs to make it difficult for the Highveld Lions and at halfway stage of their innings they were looking like scoring somewhere around 130-140 runs.

However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a smart move by promoting himself up at number four position and it gave him enough time to get his eyes in and he got his feet to move perfectly well in the dying stages of the match where Ravindra Jadeja (21 from 16 = 2 fours, 1 six) and Subramaniam Badrinath (27 from 14 – 2 sixes) played handy knocks to clinch 89 runs from the final 10 overs.

In the end, Chennai Super Kings scored fighting total of 158 for six wickets from their 20 overs. It was a total where one could expect Chennai bowlers to restrict any opposition with some surprise package spinners in the attack.

Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir once again proved an expensive option as he leaked 36 runs from his four overs for a wicket. Australian left-arm pacer Dirk Nannes proved even costlier as late hitting by Subramaniam Badrinath spoiled his figures as the left-armer gave away 46 runs from his four overs for a wicket.

On the other hand, Chris Morris and Aaron Phangiso proved effective with the ball for the local side as they allowed only 41 runs from their eight overs taking three wickets. Morris took 1/24 while Phangiso registered figures of 2/17.

Chasing a massive target required someone to play an anchoring role and a lot was expected from Highveld Lions’ skipper Alviro Petersen but Australian left-arm fast bowler Doug Bollinger removed him for a Golden Duck.

However, Gulam Bodi (64 from 46 – 5 fours, 4 sixes) put his head down as hero of their previous match the young Quinton de Kock (5 from 8 – 1 four) was undone by Bollinger, thus leaving Highveld Lions struggling at two down for only eight runs on the board.

Gulam Bodi found it tough to get going under lights but never lost his cool and he waited for the ball to lose its sheen and swing and a No Ball right towards the end of the PowerPlay proved the turning point in changing complexion of his game.

Once he hit that six, he never turned back and started smashing all the Chennai Super Kings bowlers with authority in company of an experienced Niel McKenzie (32 from 34 – 4 fours) as the duo added 93 crucial runs for the third wicket from 64 balls to scroll their way back into contention.

Highveld Lions still needed 58 runs from 39 balls when Albie Morkel got rid of threatening Gulam Bodi and soon Ravinchandran Ashwin took the prized scalp of Niel Mckenzie leaving the local side in a spot of bother at four down for 115 runs from 16.2 overs.

Two young batsmen Jean Symes and Chris Morris were at the crease now but victory was still 44 runs away and they had only 22 balls to do the job.

Jean Symes (39 not out from 23 – 5 fours) took the role of hitting it consistently across the boundary while Chris Morris (12 not out from 7 – 1 six) also gave him a great helping hand as the pair achieved the winning run with three balls to spare.

The victory on one side has propelled the Highveld Lions close to Semi-Finals qualification while on the other it pushed Chennai Super Kings on brink of elimination as it was their second straight defeat in the competition.

Doug Bollinger, who is the most-capped player in CLT20, was impressive with the new ball as he finished with two for 18 from his four overs. His fellow Australian right-arm pacer Ben Hilfenhaus also bowled a miser spell of none for 24 from four overs. However, South African all-rounder Albie Morkel and India’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin proved a little too expensive for the Chennai Super Kings as they reported figures of 3.3-0-35-1 and 4-0-42-1, respectively.

Left-arm off-spinner Aaron Phangiso was declared Man of the Match for his brilliant spell of off-spin bowling against a batting line-up which is renowned for tackling spinners better than anyone else.

Aaron Phangiso told the presentation party, "It was a nice wicket to bowl on, one of those days where the ball came nicely out of the hand. It is one of those wickets, it was a bit slow, you got to slow up your pace."

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, "We got off to a very good start, we lost too many wickets in the middle, so we were not able to slog the way we could have, but we still got the score we wanted. I think 160 was a good score. The timing of the no-balls was crucial. Small things matter. All of a sudden the momentum shifted, they were able to score a lot more freely. The quicks were bowling well [so gave them three overs each at the start]."

Highveld Lions captain Alviro Petersen stated, "Halfway through the game I thought we gave 15 runs too many. The batsmen stayed calm. Bodi played exceptionally well with McKenzie and the two young men finished it for us. It was a case of getting to the last three overs. Guys at the end showed some mettle and steel. Generally 10-15 overs is a sort of dead period, you tend to knock it around, but Gulam never allowed the rate to go beyond 10-11 runs an over."

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CLT20: Highveld Lions ease to 8wkts win over Mumbai Indians

By Sheriff Michaels

Sachin Tendulkar fails to seal a victory for Mumbai Indians despite of huge support

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (TheSportsNEXT) October 14, 2012: Indian Premier League franchises experienced a bad day in the Champions League Twenty20 2012 on Sunday as after Australia’s Sydney Sixers defeated Chennai Super Kings by 14 runs, South Africa’s Highveld Lions got the better of Mumbai Indians by eight wickets at New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

The star-studded Mumbai Indians scored 157 for six from their 20 overs after Highveld Lions’ skipper Alvira Petersen won the toss and decided to field first.

West Indian hard-hitting batsman Dwayen Smith (26 from 19 – 6 fours) and veteran master blaster Sachin Tendulkar (16 from 24 – 2 fours) opened the innings for Mumbai Indians and used up 28 balls during their 45 runs partnership.

After such an electrifying start, the Mumbai Indians needed someone to anchor the innings to a formidable total but their batsmen failed to take the responsibility as Rohit Sharma (27 from 27 – 2 fours, 1 six) could never feel comfortable after skipper Harbhajan Singh promoted Mitchell Johnson (30 from 29 – 4 fours) up the order with a pinch-hitting role.

Mitchell Johnson could never flourish which put tremendous pressure on the other batsmen as Kieron Pollard (11 from 8 – 2 fours), Dinesh Karthik (19 mot out from 9 – 2 fours, 1 six) and Ambati Rayudu (4 from 4) were wasted down the order with fewer number of deliveries available.

In the end, Mumbai Indians could only managed 104 runs from last 14 overs after an electric start which produced 53 runs from first six overs.

Australian left-arm fast bowler Dirk Nannes was phenomenal with his line and length as he bowled a miser spell of fast bowling giving away only 15 runs from his four overs for a wicket.

Pakistan’s left-arm medium pacer Sohail Tanvir also bowled well in patches as he grabbed two wickets for 31 runs from his four overs. Aaron Phangiso bowled superbly for figures of one for 17 from his four overs.

Chasing 158 runs for victory, Highveld Lions looked confused and under pressure in the beginning overs where a combination of Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga tied up the opening pair of the local team who could only score 26 runs from first five overs at the cost of their skipper Alviro Petersen (14 from 11 – 3 fours).

The other opening batsman Gulam Bodi (19 from 28 – 2 fours, 1 six) looked far from comfortable and while he managed to hit a classy six he played a huge proportion of dot balls which put his side under stern pressure.

The Highveld Lions had lost both of their openers inside seven overs for 37 runs on the board which joined South African youngster Quanton de Kock and experienced Neil McKenzie.

Quanton de Kock (51 not out from 33 – 5 fours, 2 sixes), who represented South Africa in this year’s ICC U19 World Cup played in Australia, and Neil McKenzie (68 not out from 41 – 12 fours) started their partnership on a sensible note taking singles and doubles before unleashing their big shots against the finger spinners.

Especially Mumbai Indians skipper Harbhajan Singh and left-arm off-spinner Pragyan Ojha were dealt brutally by the two batsmen as they piled on an unbeaten partnership of 121 runs from only 72 balls to seal the deal for the Highveld Lions in front of home crowd at The New Wanderers.

Harbhajan Singh gave away 36 runs from his four overs while Pragyan Ojha went for 19 from his two overs. West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard also leaked 21 runs from his two overs but Dhawal Kulkarni was the most expensive bowler for the Mumbai Indians as he was belted for 37 runs from his three overs.

Neil McKenzie, who has a reputation of a finisher, was declared Man of the Match for leading the run-chase with a cool head.

Captain of Mumbai Indians Harbhajan Singh told the presentation party, “I think we didn't look to attack their spinners, he got away with 15 runs for four overs. McKenzie played superbly, along with another youngster. Mitchell Johnson was the only left-hand batsman we had, overall Lions played much better than us. They know the conditions better than us. Credit to them! We need to play better cricket. There was a bit of dew, but we can't complain about that."

Skipper of Highveld Lions Alviro Petersen said, "We are very happy. I thought the first 5-6 overs they dominated, but then Phangiso brought us back in it. We had our plans, and we just wanted to execute, we did it today. Quanton de Kock is obviously a good player, he hits the ball sweet. McKenzie played like a young man. He showed again what a player he is. We know what we are about, what sort of cricket we can play. We put the bowling together from over five or six."

Man of the Match Neil McKenzie stated, "I'm just enjoying my cricket. Quanton de Kock is really an exceptional talent, got a good head for him, can hit the ball a long way, a nice leader for the future. We knew we had to be on our game today, even though there were quite a few Sachin Tendulkar fans out there, nice to win on our patch."

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