(Times of India) NEW DELHI: Chris Morris (2-7) and Aaron Phangiso (2-18) helped Highveld Lions book their place in Champions League Twenty20 final as they beat Delhi Daredevils by 22 runs in the first semifinal yesterday.
Chasing a modest 140-run target, Delhi lost wickets at regular intervals and were restricted to 117/9 in their 20 overs.
For Delhi, Kevin Pietersen scored 50 off 44 balls to lead the chase but the English bat didn’t get much support from the other end. Pietersen hit a six and three boundaries in his patient innings before becoming second victim of Morris in the seventeenth over.
The only other major contributor for the IPL outfit was opener David Warner, who hit 21 off 18 balls which included four hits to the fence. Apart from the two, only Morne Morkel (18* off 16) was in double figure, which completed the sorry picture of the Daredevils.
With Delhi’s ouster, the poor show of cash-rich Indian Premier League teams ended in the tournament.
Lions will play the winner of the Friday’s second semifinal between Titans and Sydney Sixers in the summit clash on Sunday.
Earlier, Gulam Bodi and Neil McKenzie guided Highveld Lions to 139/5.
Gulam Bodi slammed a gritty fifty while Neil McKenzie scored a fiery unbeaten 46 to guide Highveld Lions to a modest total.
Invited to bat, Lions got off to a steady start as the openers found scoring tough against the Delhi attack.
Umesh Yadav gave Delhi first breakthrough by dismissing Highveld Lions’ Alviro Petersen (24) after a 34-run stand for the first wicket with Bodi.
Qde Kock then joined Bodi at crease to accelerate the scoring rate.
However, Ajit Agarkar got rid of Kock in the 10 th over.
