Bravo lofts Chennai to victory

On advice from Dhoni to play on Indian turfs, Dwayne Bravo played a splendid innings of 46 runs off 26 balls, to pave the way for a magnificent Chennai victory.


Dwayne was the cynosure of all eyes, as with captain Dhoni, he added 43 runs off 39 balls for the sixth wicket to set the platform for the grest onslaught in the death overs.

"You must give credit to MS (Dhoni) because he really showed the way as how to go about in this wicket, placing the ball in the gaps, and running a lot of singles and twos. It was unfortunate he got out but by that time we knew we had a realistic chance of winning the match," Bravo said after CSK's six-wicket win over Cobras last night."

Bravo felt thatCape Cobras would have been better off with a spinner rather than a fast bower in the death overs.

"Taking the pace off the ball is a good idea, but when you have the world's best bowler in your team, you expect him to take wickets. Today, unfortunately, the balls didn't come off well for Steyn, and as a batsman I capitalised," said the Calypso wonder.

The wicket, he said, is tough.

"It's a good wicket as it tests your abilities. If you get your eyes in and play proper shots, you will be able to get runs. The pitch is relaid and we are only getting used to it, but as the tournament progresses teams will get accustomed to it," said the formidable all rounder.

"Callous" Ferguson devastates !

Callum Ferguson played a callous innings, 70 off 40 balls to guide the South Australian Redbacks to victory. Involved in a 84 run partnership with Christian, the callous Ferguson's innings helped the Redbacks to blast 94 runs off the last six hapless overs. The match winning score of 188 was too much for the Knight Riders !

Kolkotta failed by 19 runs and their fate was sealed when big hitting Yousuf Pathan was out. The score was just 102/5 when the master blaster fell.

It was lacklustre performance on the part of the Redbacks initially, as they plodded along for 94/3 off 15 overs. Then Ferguson accelerated and in just 7.2 overs, he put on 84 with Daniel Christian ! Off 31 balls, Christian scored 42.

Fireworks by Doeschate ( 32 off 19 ) and Rajat Bhatia saved Kolkotta from a heavy defeat.

"Callous" Ferguson devastates !

Callum Ferguson played a callous innings, 70 off 40 balls to guide the South Australian Redbacks to victory. Involved in a 84 run partnership with Christian, the callous Ferguson's innings helped the Redbacks to blast 94 runs off the last six hapless overs. The match winning score of 188 was too much for the Knight Riders !

Kolkotta failed by 19 runs and their fate was sealed when big hitting Yousuf Pathan was out. The score was just 102/5 when the master blaster fell.

It was lacklustre performance on the part of the Redbacks initially, as they plodded along for 94/3 off 15 overs. Then Ferguson accelerated and in just 7.2 overs, he put on 84 with Daniel Christian ! Off 31 balls, Christian scored 42.

Fireworks by Doeschate ( 32 off 19 ) and Rajat Bhatia saved Kolkotta from a heavy defeat.

Mumbai rides on luck !

Chahal hit the last ball for two runs and Mumbai had won a thriller. The bungling Trinidad and Tobago could not pull off a win, despite being in the driver's seat, when MI were 33/5......

Malinga and Bajji were responsible for skittling out T & T for a paltry 98. Bajji took three and Malinga two. Then when MI started, they had to face the fiery Rampaul, who succeeded in toppling their top order and MI were in the doldrums at 33/5. Then Ambati Rayudu took over, scoring a patient 36 and becoming the sheet anchor of the versatile Mumbai Indians !

In a low scoring match, in which neither team scored more than 100, in a match of fluctuating fortunes, MI emerged winner due to keeping their nerves. This is a second display of keeping nerves for MI. Rayudu and Malinga led the fightback. Malinga scored 15 and is now making his mark as a batsman in T20 !

Eleven runs were required in the final over, when Malinga swung Ganga for a six. Pressure got on to both Malinga and Rayudu and both were run out. Then Yuvzendra Chahal came to the rescue and hit two runs off the last ball and MI had done the impossible !

The last ball scenario was great. Darren Ganga pushed the field back and Sherwin Ganga sent down a full toss on Chahal's pads. Chahal nudged it to midwicket. He charged back for the second, the throw from the fielder was not accurate enough and Ramadin underarmed the ball, only to miss the stumps to the delight of the crowd, who obviously were pro MI !

T & T chose to give the single and tie the match, unaware of the fact that they have to face the formidable Slinga Malinga in the Super Over, if they had tied the match.

Warriors win easily

Jon Jon Smuts smashed a magnificent 88, Ingram 30 and Boucher 34 and Warriors posted 171/5 in their allotted 20 overs. South Australian Redbacks could only muster 121/6 and Warriors won with ease.

It was a great display of batting from Smuts, as he thrashed the Redback bowlers to all parts of the field. In restricting the Redbacks, the bowlers involved were Tsotsobe ( 2 wickets ) Theron ( 1 wicket ), Botha (1) and Parnell(1).

Smuts was involved in a 80 run partnership with Boucher ( 34 off 26).

Redbacks could not give a fitting reply, with only Klinger (34) offering some resistance. SA lost wickets quite regularly and this prevented their surge. They can hope for better luck next time.

Somerset register emphatic win

Despite the heroics of Pathan and the technical brilliance of Kallis, Kolkotta could not register a win. The slow and low track was mastered by an unknown batsman, Roelof van der Merwe, who smashed 73 off 40 balls to set a great Somerset victory.

78 runs were plundered in the last 6 overs by Pathan & Co and KKR finished at 161/3.

Chasing a competitive 162 runs to win, Somerset lost their first wicket for just 15 runs, but Roelof took the attack to the bowlers by a blistering 73, studded with two sixes and nine fours. Off just 25 balls he reached his fifty, which proved to be the third fastest fifty in the Championship League. He was supported by Trego ( 28 off 35 ) and the two were involved in a century partnership.

But their run chase hit a big block, as Somerset lost both van der Merwe and Trego. Hildreth and Suppiah followed in quick succession. Shakib al Hasan ran out Trego and then took a catch to send off van der Merwe. But Nick Compton and Steve Snell held their nerves to register a great victory.

Earlier Jacques Kallis was on the rampage, with a devastating 74 off 61 balls, pulverising the Somerset attack. Adding fuel to the fire was Yousuf Pathan, who scored a brilliant 39 not out. Kallis hit four sixes and four fours and Pathan followed suit with 4 sixes. 161/3 was not at all a bad score, but Somerset proved to be too smart for that.

Cobras prevail

New South Wales could only put up a modest performace. The 130 odd which they posted were overrun by a ravaging Gibbs and Levi. These openers put on 88 for the first wicket and Cape Cobras won easily.

The issue was never in doubt, as NSW folded up for 130 odd. Watson( 34 off 29 ) and Warner ( 20 off 30 ) were crusing merrily when Langveld dimissed both of them. Daniel Smith ( 24 off 16 ) kept the scoreboard moving but Phlander removed him. Great expectations were on Simon Katich but he failed to deliver, falling a prey to Kemp. Steven Smith ( 16 ) and Henriques ( 18) then took NSW to a respectable score.

Gibbs started slowly, scoring just 1 run off 11 deliveries. Then he accelerated, blasting five fours and two sixes in a brilliant display of batting. His 55 off 47 balls was his 19th T20 fifty. He fell when just 24 runs were needed for victory. Levi scored 43 off 27 balls, before holing out to Warner. When Owais Shah ( 3) left, Cobras were 112/3, but then Duminy ( 14 not out ) and Ontong ( 11 not out ) knocked off the remaining runs with ease.

Earlier Warner and Watson got off to a blistering start, putting on 41 in just 30 balls. But then NSW lost their way, as they lost their top three batsmen quickly.