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29 March 2024

Champions League T20: CSK at mercy of Lahore Lions to book semifinal berth

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (second right) celebrates with Suresh Raina and other teammates after the wicket of Pune Warriors batsman Mithun Manhas (not pictured) during the IPL Twenty20 cricket match between Pune Warriors and Chennai Super Kings at The D.Y. Patil Cricket stadium in the outskirts of Mumbai. (AFP)

Published
By Cricket Correspondent

Chennai Super Kings's chances of booking their berth in the semifinals of the Champions League T20 hinges on Lahore Lions despite their spectacular win over Perth Scorchers in their final group match on Saturday.

Scorchers’ second defeat in the competition has virtually knocked them out of the competition.

CSK, who have ten points and a net run rate of 0.945, will await the result of the match between the Lahore Lions and Scorchers on Tuuesday September 30 to know their fate.

Prior to their final match, the Lahore Lions have six points and a net run rate of 0.255.

For the Lions to qualify for the semis, they need to defeat the Scorchers, and beat them convincingly so their net run rate is better than CSK.

The Lions added to the suspense of which other team from Group A will join the Kolkata Knight Riders in the semifinals when they defeated the Dolphins by 16 runs in the preceding match.

After opting to bat first, the Paksitan T20 champions made a competitive 164 for 5 thanks to magical unbeaten 72 from Umar Akmal.

The spinners made the most of the uneven bounce and spin available on the track at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to deny to South African side, restricting them to 148 for 9.

This was despite some late heroics from birthday-boy Robbie Frylinck who smashed 43 off 26 balls.

PERTH SCORCHERS INNINGS

Arafat hammers a boundary off the last ball but Chennai win by 13 runs to keep alive their hopes of booking a spot in the last four of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.

Chasing a target of 156, Perth's innings never really gathered any momentum finishing on 142-7.

Ashwin claimed three for 20 and Nehra two for 27.

Coulter-Nile top scored with 30 while Voges made 27.

It was a spectacular comeback by Chennai who seemed down and out at one stage before blazing knocks by Jadeja and Dhoni helped them make a challenging total.

Coulter-Nile hits Mohit straight down the throat of Bravo as he goes for the big one. Per 131-7 in 19 overs.

Nathan Coulter-Nile c Bravo b Sharma 30 (21b 2x4 1x6)

Dhoni runs out Turner with an underarm throw to end the 50-run partnership with Coulter-Nile. Per 123-6 in 18 overs.

A Turner run out 22 (17b 2x4 0x6)

Coulter-Nile smashes a six and Turner hits a boundary but it seems too little too late as Chennai take the pace of the ball. Per 112-5 in 17 overs.

Jadeja completes his spell returning figures of 4-0-26-0. Per 98-5 in 16 overs.

Coulter-Nile gets a boundary off Bravo but Perth need more of those to close the gap. Per 89-5 in 15 overs.

The asking rate has risen to over 11 an over with the flurry of wickets. Per 74-5 in 13 overs.

Nehra strikes trapping Voges who swings and misses plumb in front. Per 73-5 in 12.3 overs.

Adam Voges lbw b Nehra 27 (24b 3x4 0x6)

Ashwin finishes his spell with superb figures of 4-0-20-3. Per 70-4 in 12 overs.

Ashwin strikes trapping Whiteman leg before. Per 68-4 in 11.3 overs.

S Whiteman lbw b Ashwin 5 (7b 0x4 0x6)

Voges gets going with two consecutive boundaries off Hastings. Per 66-3 in 11 overs.

Marsh does not last long top edging Ashwing to the backward square leg. Per 53-3 in 9.4 overs.

Mitchell Marsh c Jadeja b Ashwin 19 (26b 2x4 0x6)

Marsh survives after giving a nick behind off Hastings who has overstepped marginally. Per 52-2 in 9 overs.

Ashwin bowls a tight over. Per 47-2 in 8 overs.

Marsh bludgeons Mohit down the ground for a boundary to keep Perth in the hunt. Per 42-2 in 7 overs.

Marsh pulls a short ball from Jadeja to the fence. Per 35-2 in 6 overs.

Mohit Sharma bowls an excellent over. Per 28-2 in 5 overs.

Agar finds the boundary on the off but Ashwin castles him next ball. Per 26-2 in 4 overs.

Ashton Agar b Ashwin 4 (4b 1x4 0x6)

Nehra strikes inducing a nick from Simmons who attempts to swing him out of the ground. Per 18-1 in 2.4 overs.

Craig Simmons c Dhoni b Nehra 13 (13b 1x4 1x6)

Voges swings a loose ball from Ashwin down the leg side for a boundary. Per 18-0 in 2 overs.

Simmons slams a boundary and a six after a tentative start against Nehra. Per 12-0 in 1 over.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS

Blistering knocks by Jadeja (44 not out off 25 balls) and Dhoni (35 off 16 balls) lifted Chennai to 155-6 after being put into bat.

It was a magnificent recovery by CSK who were five down for 79 in the 15th over.

Jadeja and Dhoni who smashed three towering sixes off Arafat figured in an electrifying sixth wicket stand of 64 as CSK plundered 86 runs in the last six overs.

Jadeja finishes the innings in style smashing a six and boundary off Coulter-Nile. CSK 155-6 in 20 overs.

Dhoni's terrific knock comes to an end as he fails to clear the boundary with a straight hit. CSK 143-6 in 19.3 overs.

MS Dhoni c Turner b Coulter-Nile 35 (16b 0x4 4x6)

Dhoni set the stadium alight smashing three consecutive sixes, one of which went out of the ground, off Arafat who goes for 27. CSK 142-5 in 19 overs.

Jadeja turns it on dancing down the track to slam a six and a boundary off Hogg. CSK 115-5 in 18 overs.

Dhoni clobbers a full toss from Arafat for a six. CSK 101-5 in 17 overs.

Jadeja pulls Coulter-Nile to the square leg fence for a much-needed boundary. CSK 89-5 in 16 overs.

Bravo hits the first boundary in nine overs smashing Turner for a six over midwicket and straight down the ground but is bowled next ball. CSK 79-5 in 14.3 overs.

Dwayne Bravo b Turner 27 (26b 1x4 1x6)

Chennai are four down as Hogg strikes with Manhas holing out a full toss to midwicket. CSK 56-4 in 11.1 overs.

Mithun Manhas c Paris b Hogg 18 (27b 1x4 0x6)

Left-arm spinner Beer completes an excellent spell returning figures of 4-0-16-0. CSK 56-3 in 11 overs.

Hogg bowls a good opening over conceding just two runs as Chennai are struggling at the halfway stage of the innings. CSK 52-3 in 10 overs.

Arafat has the last laugh after being smashed for a boundary by Smith who is castled two balls later. CSK 33-3 in 5.3 overs.

Dwayne Smith b Yasir Arafat 11 (13b 2x4 0x6)

Manhas chips Beer over extra cover for his first boundary. CsK 29-2 in 5 overs.

Smith hits his first boundary lofting Coulter-Nile over mid-off. CSK 23-2 in 4 overs.

Massive blow for Chennai as Raina is run out by a direct hit after being sent back by Smith. CSK 16-2 in 2.5 overs.

Suresh Raina run out 1 (1b 0x4 0x6)

McCullum clubs Paris for another boundary but crashes the next one onto his stumps. CSK 15-1 in 2.3 overs.

Brendon McCullum b Paris 11 (10b 1x4 1x6)

Birthday boy McCullum hits the first ball he faces from Paris for a glorious straight six.

Smith survives a confident appeal for leg off the first ball of the innings from Paris.

It's a virtual quarter-final clash.

Perth Scorchers have won the toss and opted to bowl in a crunch Group A Champions League Twenty20 match against Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Perth have brought in Michael Beer as the extra spinner.

Super Kings have been forced to make changes. Faf du Plessis is not well. John Hastings comes in. Mithun Manhas comes in for Ishwar Pandey.

PLAYING XI

CSK - Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Mithun Manhas, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, J Hastings, Mohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra

Perth Scorchers - Adam Voges, Craig Simmons, S Whiteman, Mitchell Marsh, A Turner, A Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Yasir Arafat, J Paris, M Beer, Brad Hogg