NEW DELHI, India, CMC – Victoria easily defeated the Delhi Daredevils by seven wickets to open their Twenty20 Champions League on a positive note, in a humdrum affair at Feroz Shah Kotla yesterday.

Chasing down Delhi’s woeful 98 for eight off their allotted 20 overs, Victoria eased home with 20 balls to spare, to secure two vital points and become the second Australian team in the tournament to start with wins after New South Wales’ efforts earlier in the day.

The result was never really in doubt after Rob Quiney and Brad Hodge added 55 off 47 balls for the first wicket, to get Victoria up and running.

Quiney top scored with 40 from 33 balls with four fours and three sixes while Hodge was content to be a spectator with nine off 16 balls.

When both perished in successive overs to leave Victoria perched on 55 for two in the ninth over, Delhi’s hopes of a come-from-behind victory would have soared.

However captain Cameron White, one of Australia’s latest Test recruits, steadied the innings with an unhurried, unbeaten 23 from 22 balls with two fours, and guided his side safely to their target.

Earlier, Delhi were let down by sloppy batting to crash to a meagre total after they won the toss and opted to bat.

Mithun Manhas top scored with 25 while India Test batsman Virender Sehwag got 21 but the contributions failed to get the hosts past the 100-run mark.

Wickets fell steadily from the outset as Delhi were undermined by medium pacer Clint McKay who snatched three for 17, and seamers Andrew McDonald (2-17) and Shane Harwood (2-20) who grabbed two wickets apiece.

SCOREBOARD

DELHI DAREDEVILS
*G Gambhir b Harwood                    4
V Sehwag c & b McKay                    21
T Dilshan b McKay                            18
O Shah c wkp Wade b McKay          0
+D Karthik run out                             6
M Manhas b Harwood                    25
R Bhatia b McDonald                        8
A Mishra not out                               7
P Sangwan b McDonald                  1
Extras (b2, lb2, w4)                        8
TOTAL (8 wkts, 20 overs)        98
Did not bat: D Nannes, A Nehra.
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Gambhir, 2.4 overs), 2-31 (Sehwag, 4.5), 3-41 (Shah, 6.2), 4-47 (Karthik, 8), 5-76 (Dilshan, 15.1), 6-84 (Manhas, 16.3), 7-96 (Bhatia, 19.3), 8-98 (Sangwan, 20) 
Bowling: Harwood 4-0-20-2, Siddle 4-0-21-0 (w1), McKay 4-0-17-3 (w1), McDonald 4-0-17-2, Holland 3-0-10-0 (w1), Hussey 1-0-9-0.

VICTORIA
R Quiney b Mishra                             40
B Hodge b Dilshan                                 9
*C White not out                                  22
D Hussey b Bhatia                                  7
A Blizzard not out                               15
Extras (lb1, w5, nb1)                           7
TOTAL (3 wkts, 16.4 overs)        100
Did not bat: A McDonald, +M Wade, C McKay, S Harwood, J Holland, P Siddle.
Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Quiney, 7.5 overs), 2-55 (Hodge, 8.2), 3-78 (Hussey, 12.5) 
Bowling: Nehra 3-0-20-0 (w3), Nannes 3-0-17-0 (w1), Mishra 4-0-30-1 (nb1), Dilshan 4-0-14-1, Bhatia 2.4-0-18-1.  
Result: Victoria won by seven wickets.
Points: Victoria 2, Delhi Daredevils 0.
Man-of-the-Match: C McKay.
Toss: Delhi Daredevils.
Umpires: K Dharmasena, B Doctrove; TV – S Hazare.