Gayle, Kohli power Bangalore to final

BANGALORE, (Reuters) – David Warner’s second unbeaten  hundred in a row went in vain as Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli  made short work of a steep 204-run target to power Royal  Challengers Bangalore to the Champions League T20 final against  New South Wales today.
West Indian Gayle (41-ball 92) and India’s Kohli (49-ball  84) blasted 141 runs for the second wicket as Bangalore chased  down the target with nine balls and six wickets to spare.
Gayle smashed eight huge sixes and the same number of fours  to set the platform for Kohli, who hit three sixes and 10  boundaries, to see the side through at their home ground of M.  Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Bangalore lost three quick wickets after the departure of  Gayle, who fell leg before to Pat Cummins, but Kohli kept his  cool to guide his team to the final.
Australian Warner followed up his unbeaten 69-ball 135  against Chennai Super Kings with another unbeaten knock of 123  off 68 balls to power his side past the 200-run mark after they  were put in to bat first.
Opener Warner hit 11 sixes and added 146 for the second  wicket with Daniel Smith (62 off 42 balls) after a sedate start,  pegged back by Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan’s  economical four-over spell of one wicket for 10.
Shane Watson departed early but Warner’s clean and straight  hitting took the Australian team to 203 for two wickets, which  did not prove enough in the end.
Mumbai Indians will take on England’s Somerset in the second  semi-final in Chennai on Saturday.