Chennai Wins Champions League T20

Chennai Super Kings became the first Indian team to win the Airtel Champions League T20 Tournament. Chennai defeated South African domestic T20 winner, Warriors. Warriors batted first in the most crucial match of the tournament and Chennai bowlers, especially the spinners, played a huge part in restricting the Warriors. Warriors managed to score just 128/7 in their alloted 20 overs. Chennai chased the target with precision.

Warriors won the toss and elected to bat first. They have cracker of a start, but could not convert them into a big one. Their captain and opening batsmen Jacobs had been the best batsmen of Warriors in the tournament and today was no exception. Jacobs scored 34 off just 21 balls, but once his wicket fell, Warriors lost their way & submitted to the bowling of Muttaih Muralitharan & R Ashwin, who took 5 wickets of the total 7. Doug Bollinger & Albie Morkel also took 1 wicket apiece. In the lower order, Thyssen scored a quickfire 25 off 18 balls & took the team to a fighting total of 128.

Chennai was always in the control of the chase and their openers Murali Vijay & Michael Hussey shared a 103 run partnership for the 1st wicket and this ensured their win. Warriors' bowlers tried very hard, but they could do nothing about these two. Both the openers made cracking half centuries. Vijay scored 58 off 53 balls, with 6 fours and 2 sixes, whereas Hussey remained unbeaten on 51 off 46 balls. It was a calm & controlled innings by Hussey, as always! In the end, Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a six & a four to win the tournament & complete the 'double' of IPL victory and Champions League.

R Ashwin was declared Man of the Series for taking 13 wickets. He was outstanding throughout the tournament except for that super over defeat against Victoria Bushrangers. Murali Vijay gets the Golden bat for scoring the most number of runs & R Ashwin gets the Golden Wicket.

DareDevils Smashed by Victoria Bushrangers

Delhi Daredevils - under new skipper Gautam Gambhir - were beaten by Victoria Bushrangers. For Victoria Bushrangers, Clint McKay led a devastating seam attack, in the opening match of Group D.

Delhi was looking like strangers against a bowling attack that was ruthless on a pitch with consistently uneven bounce, because of which run-scoring was quite a problem. Gambhir would not have thought for such a poor performance after selecting to bat after winning the toss. Delhi just managed to leave behind the second lowest T20 score at this ground, registered by the Eagles, earlier in the day.

Virender Sehwag attempted to stamp his authority in front of home crowd by smashing boundaries off successive Shane Harwood balls, but was splendidly caught & bowled by Clint McKay in his 1st over off a mistimed shot on the leg side. Clint McKay followed it up by getting English batsman Owais Shah, caught behind for naught.

The troubled situation forced Dilshan to play the sheet anchor role & he was conscious, when Clint McKay - who enjoyed the seaming conditions -bowled him. Middle order batsman Mithun Manhas made 25. Andrew McDonald dismissed Rajat Bhatia and Pradeep Sangwan in the last over.

In reply, Rob Quinney of Bushrangers, didn't let anyone feel that the pitch is not suitable for good batting. Dirk Nannes and Ashish Nehra disappointed and the scoring for Bushrangers for free flow. With 32 already on the score board in the 5th over, Daredevils were in a state of panic.

Leg Spinner Amit Mishra was also sent for a six and a four, but he managed to dismiss Rob Quinney on the last bowl of his first over. Brad Hodge, who was a mere spectator from the other end, was bowled by Tilakaratne Dilshan 2 balls later, but with Victoria racing to 55-2 in the 9th over, Daredevils needed a miracle. Dilshan and Mishra, managed to slow the scoring rate, but Bushrangers, having been delivered a superb start, could afford to relax.

Rajat Bhatia took the wicket of David Hussey with a slower delivery, but it was too late for the Daredevils. Blizzard won the game for Victoria, smashing Bhatia for a big one over long-on.

Mcckay was the lone choice for the Man of the Match award.

Duminy made Cape Cobra Win

Cape Cobras (of South Africa) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in an exciting finish with the help of a brilliant 99 not out by J P Duminy. J P Duminy scored these runs in just 52 balls. He played every shot in the book and remained unbeaten on 99, as he took a single to tie the score on the third ball off the final over of the match bowled by R Vinay Kumar of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Anil Kumble of Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and elected to field first. Royal Challengers Bangalore opener Robin Uthappa played a superb knock of 51 off just 39 balls, when he got out on the bowling of Mondi Zondeki. Earlier, Royal Challengers Bangalore lost the opener Jacques Kallis pretty early. Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Ross Taylor also hit a fast half century and remained unbeaten on 53. For Cape Cobras, Charles Langeveldt took 1 wicket, but he conceded only 12 runs off his 3 overs. Other major wicket takers for Cape Cobras were Mondi Zondeki, and Henderson.

In reply, Cape Cobras had a pretty decent start, but they seemed to lost the way after the loss of a couple of wickets. However, Jean Paul Duminy stood tall and scored an unbeaten 99 off just 52 balls with the help of 8 fours and 5 towering sixes. Along with Canning, he scored 61 runs for the 5th wicket. J P Duminy hit 3 boundaries and 1 six in the tense stage of the game. Praveen Kumar of Royal Challengers Bangalore bowled reasonably well, until he was hit for 2 boundaries by J P Duminy in the penultimate over of the match. For Royal Challengers Bangalore, Praveen Kumar took 3 wickets, whereas spinners Anil Kumble and Roelef Van der Merwe took 1 wicket each.

The choice of Man of the Match award was pretty simple – it was J P Duminy of Cape Cobras