Rain spoils Cobras-Mumbai clash
by Richard Asher 30 September 2011, 19:39
Friday’s Nokia Champions League match between the Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras and the Mumbai Indians at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore has been abandoned due to the heavy rain that followed the Mumbai innings.
Full Scoring
The skies opened just as the Indians were completing their innings of 176 for five, and then set in for the evening without giving the South African side a chance to reply in the Group A clash.
The result means the two points are shared. The Indians cannot yet rest assured of a place in the semifinals, but remain top of the log. The Cobras’ single point moves them from a tie for second into clear ownership of the position.
The Indians innings was dominated by Kieron Pollard’s powerful innings of 58.
The West Indian’s fiery 37-ball knock was the perfect follow-up to Sarul Kanwar’s even more brutal 45 (which featured five sixes) at the top of innings.
New Indians opener Kanwar seized his opportunity with both hands as he got the scoreboard ticking alongside Aiden Blizzard. By the end of the sixth over the score was up to 59 without loss, and Justin Kemp’s decision to send Mumbai in was not looking an especially inspired one.
However, Kemp’s slow bowlers -- and the safe hands of Owais Shah -- responded well when the fielding restrictions fell away after six overs, and the Cobras struck back with three quick wickets.
Robin Peterson got rid of both Kanwar and Blizzard in successive overs, both caught in the deep by an unruffled Owais Shah.
Then Shah took yet another catch, this time at deep square leg as Ambati Rayudu misjudged a short ball from JP Duminy. His departure made it 75 for three in the 10th over.
But then, with the innings in the balance, new man Pollard took charge. Kiwi James Franklin was content to watch from the other end as Pollard dominated a devastating stand of 69 for the fourth wicket.
That partnership featured some massive hits from Pollard, including the 100th six of the tournament.
Captain Kemp temporarily stopped the plunder with a good bowling cameo in the 17th over, in which he took the wicket of Franklin and went for just two. But the Indians already had 145 on the board and the following over, delivered by Vernon Philander, was worth another 16 to them as new batsman Andrew Symonds pinched a couple of agricultural fours.
Shah pouched a fourth boundary catch with an over to go as Dale Steyn finally got rid of Pollard, who couldn’t clear the ropes at mid-off.
Symonds and Harbhajan Singh saw the Indians to the end of their 20 overs with 176 runs on the board, but thanks to the ensuing rain the Bangalore crowd were not treated to any further cricket on the night.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians: AC Blizzard, S Kanwar, AT Rayudu (wk), A Symonds, KA Pollard, R Sathish, JEC Franklin, Harbhajan Singh (capt), SL Malinga, AN Ahmed, YS Chahal
Nashua Mobile Cape Cobras: RE Levi, HH Gibbs, DJ Vilas (wk), OA Shah, JP Duminy, JM Kemp (capt), VD Philander, JL Ontong, RJ Peterson, DW Steyn, CK Langeveldt