DELHI, India, CMC – Captain Simon Katich and pacer Stuart Clark produced pivotal performances as NSW Blues shot down the Eagles for an easy 53-run victory in their Champions League Twenty20 Group B match yesterday.
The Blues, electing to bat, compiled 144 for six off the 20 overs and the Eagles gave a tame response of 91 for nine off their 20 overs at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.
Man of the match Katich lashed a brisk half century and Clark bagged three wickets to set up the win.
The Australian club side had an unsteady start when pacer Victor Mpitsang bowled opener Phillip Hughes (1) at three for one in the second over, but Katich joined David Warner (23) to rally the side with a 79-run second-wicket stand.
Moises Henriques (27) and Ben Rohrer (22 not out) also made good contributions for the NSW Blues.
Katich, who reached fifty off 37 balls, cracked 53 off 41 balls with six fours and two sixes and the pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk (2-22) was chief wicket taker for the Eagles, who were never in the hunt when they replied.
The South African side plunged to 24 for five in the seventh over and were outgunned by the NSW Blues.
Ryan McLaren battled for 40 off 37 balls but Katich executed two run-outs in a strong fielding effort that provided solid support for the bowlers as the Eagles slipped to the lowest ever T20 total on this ground.
“Our bowlers did a great job in the first six overs. Clark did a fantastic job, Lee upfront was magnificent,” Katich said.
Clark bagged three for 12 off his four overs and Henriques snared two for 13 off three, while pacer Brett Lee (1-14) and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz (1-13) shared two wickets in the handsome win by NSW.
SCOREBOARD
NSW BLUES Innings
P Hughes b Mpitsang 1
D Warner b Bailey 23
*S Katich c Rossouw b van Schalkwyk 53
M Henriques c A McLaren b van Schalkwyk 27
B Rohrer not out 22
S Smith b du Preez 10
B Lee run out 0
+D Smith not out 0
Extras (lb6, w2) 8
TOTAL (6 wickets – 20 overs) 144
Did not bat: N Hauritz, S Clark, D Bollinger
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Hughes, 1.4 overs), 2-82 (Warner, 12.3), 3-84 (Katich, 13.4), 4-126 (Henriques, 17.4), 5-138 (S Smith, 19.2), 6-138 (Lee, 19.3)
Bowling: du Preez 4-0-32-1; Mpitsang 3-0-11-1; R McLaren 3-0-30-0 (1w); van Schalkwyk 3-0-22-2; Tshabalala 4-0-33-0; Bailey 3-0-10-1 (1w)
EAGLES Innings
R Rossouw lbw b Lee 1
A McLaren run out (Katich) 11
+M van Wyk c Hughes b Clark 0
D Elgar st D Smith b Hauritz 2
*H Dippenaar c Katich b Clark 7
R Bailey run out (Katich) 8
R McLaren c Hauritz b Henriques 40
S van Schalkwyk b Henriques 3
D du Preez b 7
T Tshabalala not out 8
V Mpitsang not out 0
Extras (lb4) 4
TOTAL (9 wickets; 20 overs) 91
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Rossouw, 0.6 overs), 2-13 (A McLaren, 2.4), 3-14 (van Wyk, 3.1), 4-22 (Dippenaar, 5.6), 5-24 (Elgar, 6.3), 6-36 (Bailey, 9.4), 7-62 (van Schalkwyk, 14.3), 8-71 (du Preez, 15.6), 9-90 (R McLaren, 19.3)
Bowling: Lee 4-1-14-1; Bollinger 4-0-21-0; Clark 4-0-12-3; Henriques 3-0-13-2; Hauritz 4-0-13-1;
Smith 1-0-14-0.
Result NSW Blues win by 53 runs
Points: NSW Blues 2, Eagles 0
Toss: NSW Blues
Umpires: B Doctrove, S Hazare
TV umpire: K Dharmasena
Matchreferee: R Mahanama
Man-of-the-Match: Simon Katich (NSW Blues)
