CL T20: Mumbai lose opener by nine runs

Agencies

Johannesburg, 11 September 2010: A match-up between tournament favourites Mumbai Indians and underdogs Highveld Lions turned out to be a surprise but close tournament opener that saw the star-studded Mumbai side losing to the home team by nine runs at the New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on Friday.

 

Chasing 186 at the bullring surely was a big ask but when you have Sachin Tendulkar there to guide you, even big totals look meagre. The master had to lead from the front and that’s how it panned out for Mumabai Indians. An opening partnership of 83 runs put Mumbai on course for an amazing win. An failed attempt at a reverse sweep helped Lions see the back of Shikhar Dhawan who made a quickfire 32.

 

The sensation from the IPL, Ambati Rayudu, couldn’t trouble the scorers much when a swift Alviro Petersen ran him out for just three runs. Local boy JP Duminy strode into the middle and took off right away when he deposited a six deep into stands over the mid-wicket. At 131/2, it looked like the two would take Mumbai home but lightning struck right there as Shane Burger lived the moment of his life bowling out the little master who made a blistering 69 off 42 balls, studded with nine hits to the boundary.

 

 

Pollard took off from where he left in the IPL and after a couple of singles to get his eye in, the giant West Indian launched himself into Highveld Lions’ attack with a six and a four. But a possible match-winning innings ended prematurely when the Caribbean marauder misread a slow yorker-length delivery to see his timber getting disturbed.

 

The match looked to be turning into a humdinger and all hopes rested on Harbhajan but the Lions brought out their yorkers and made life difficult for the Mumbai lower order who had shovel out deliveries. A suicide attempt to turn a single into a double saw Sathish shaking hands with Harbhajan to find himself run out by a mile.

 

Earlier, whirlwind fifties from Jonathan Vandiar and Neil McKenzie helped Highveld Lions score 186/5 in 20 overs. Vandiar scored 71 off 48 balls, while McKenzie matched the left-handed batsman with a quickfire 55 from 29 deliveries. Alviro Petersen’s (12) run-out gave Mumbai Indians an early breakthrough as both the openers were involved in a terrible mix-up that saw them running to the same end, resulting in the run-out with the score at 24.

 

One early wicket soon became two for MI with the introduction of left-armer Ali Murtaza who invited an error from Richard Cameron (9) whose attempt to hit a six resulted in a skier that was pouched safely by Zaheer Khan. Loss of wickets, however, didn’t hold hard-hitting Jonathan Vandiar back who went on the counter-attack, taking Harbhajan and Mortaza on, and the scoreboard soon raced to 81 in the 11th over.

 

But Lasith Malinga’s introduction paid rich dividends as the Sri Lankan got the better of van Jaarsveld (13). That, unfortunately for MI, didn’t affect Vandiar who kept swinging the willow to deal in fours and sixes, which swelled the Lions’ scorecard to worrying figures for Tendulkar.

 

Malinga once again proved to be Mumbai’s saviour-in-chief by removing danger-man Vandiar after he had massacred 71 runs in 48 balls, punctuated with four hits to the boundary and three over it. The yorker-specialist islander got rid of another Lion in the same over, giving Mumbai some home of restricting the Lions.

 

There was little respite, though, for Mumbai after Malinga’s twin strike as McKenzie took over from where Vandiar left and cashed in on the momentum provided by Vandiar’s blitzkreig. It stayed at five wickets for Mumbai who failed to put a leash on Lions’ score in the dying overs that saw Zaheer bleeding runs in his comeback match after an injury layoff.

 

McEnzie ended undefeated, punishing the Mumbai team for 55 runs off just 29 balls. Lasith Malinga and Ali Murtaza bowled the only spells of substance but those too got lost among runs that haemorrhaged through other bowlers. While Malinga sent across a spell of 4-0-33-3, Murtaza’s figures read 4-0-28-1.