CENTURION, South Africa, CMC – A boundary-studded half-century from Michael Klinger set them up, and Shaun Tait and Daniel Christian shared five wickets to lead South Australia Redbacks to a tense 11-run victory over Highveld Lions in the Champions League Twenty20 Championship yesterday.
Klinger struck six fours and five sixes in 78 from 48 balls, as the Redbacks, sent in to bat, reached 178 for six from their allocation of 20 overs in the fourth match of the competition at SuperSport Park.
Tait then snared three wickets for 36 runs from his allotment of four overs, and Christian collected two for 30 from his four overs, as the Lions reached 167 for eight off their 20 overs.
Tait bowled opener Jonathan Vandiar for four in the first over to set the Lions back early, but Alviro Petersen, whose 56 from 35 balls included seven fours and one six, got them moving before Vaughan van Jaarsveld was caught at short mid-wicket in the fifth over.
But there was no substance nor stability from the rest of the Lions, whose innings was disrupted by the run-outs of Neil McKenzie for 15 and Zander de Bruyn for 11.
Earlier, Klinger put on 97 for the third wicket with Callum Ferguson, whose 47 from 27 balls contained seven fours.
They rescued the Redbacks from 52 for two in the ninth over, before they were dismissed within four balls of each other. The Redbacks too, suffered from the “run-out bug”, with three batsmen, including Ferguson, falling in this manner.
