Hosts ensure IPL runners-up Mumbai Indians start Champions League campaign with a loss at Johannesburg
Hosts ensureu00a0IPL runners-up Mumbai Indians start Champions League campaign with a loss at Johannesburg
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The Highveld Lions roared to a sensational nine-run victory over the star-studded Mumbai Indians in their opening game of the Champions League Twenty20 at the Wanderers here last night.
The Lions, who enjoyed home ground advantage and who knew the local conditions better, capatilised on the situation especially after they were sent into to bat by Sachin Tendulkar.
Having scored 186-5 off their 20 overs, the Lions put in a gutsy performance as they bowled a far better line and length by restricting the Mumbai Indians to 177-6 to get their campaign to an unbelievable start.
The man who really pulled everything into perspective for the Lions was Shane Burger, who picked up two huge wickets -- first was when he bowled Tendulkar for 69 (42b, 9x4s) at 131-3 in the 15th over and followed it up with the kingpin Kieron Pollard 19 (9b, 2x6, 1x4) at 156-4. No sooner had these two major contributors to the Mumbai Indians' IPL success had disappeared things went pear-shaped for the visitors.
JP Duminy (30) and Rajagopal Satish (10) were their last hopes and they, too, perished swiftly as the Lions turned the screws before it all ended with Tendulkar's outfit nine runs short of the Lions score.
If one has to put the game into perspective that final over from Zaheer Khan which leaked 17 valuable runs was the difference between the two teams.
BRIEF SCORES
Highveld Lions 186-5 in 20 overs (J Vandiar 71, N McKenzie 56 not out; L. Malinga 3-33) Mumbai Indians 177-6 in 20 overs (S Tendulkar 69, S Dhawan 32, J P Duminy 30; S Burger 2-33)
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