Lendl Simmons and Michael Hussey paired up brilliantly to score 139 runs for the 1st wicket and demolish Southern Express as Mumbai Indians registered their 1st win of the 2014 Champions League T20 championship on Sunday night at Raipur.
Simmons and Hussey’s elegant opening partnership gave their side a morale-boosting nine-wicket victory after their loss at the hands of Lahore Lions on Saturday.
The Southern Express opening pair of Kusal Janith Perera and Danushka Gunathilake walked out to the middle after being asked to bat first by Kieron Pollard as he thought chasing would be ideal for the former IPL and CLT20 champions. Mumbai bowlers did not slip up easy half volleys to the junior master blaster, Kusal as they rattled him with spin to dismiss the left hander early for only 8 runs.
Express batsmen found run-making difficult as they played out a lot of dot balls which haunted them in the end. Danushka Gunathilake once again showed promise with the willow as he scored 30 runs off 23 deliveries while youngster Yashoda Lanka failed to capitalize his chance. Jehan Mubarak was then clean bowled by Pragyan Ojha for 16 while Seekuge Prasanna was run-out for 15 as Express’ were 90 for 5 in the 14th over of their innings when Angelo Perera found an able partner in Farveez Maharoof.
NCC club-mates, Angelo and Farveez changed gears drastically at the death overs as they produced a brilliant 58-run partnership for the 6th wicket in only 35 balls as Southern Express posted a competitive 161/6 at the end of their 20 overs. Maharoof was the aggressor as he clobbered 41 runs in just 22 balls while Perera made a run-a-ball knock of 28.
Chasing 162 to win the game and stay alive in the tournament, Mumbai openers started slowly and steadily before gradually escalating the speed of run-making. Hussey was instrumental in their 139-run partnership as he maneuvered the strike and scored runs without any problems as Express bowlers lacked penetration and discipline.
Simmons punished the loose deliveries with ferocity as he top-scored for the winners with an unbeaten 51-ball 76 runs which included 11 fours and a six. Hussey’s exciting knock came to an end when he was caught at deep square leg by Angelo Perera off Sachith Pathirana for 60 runs which came in 40 balls. Skipper Keiron Pollard came as the one drop batsman and smashed 3 sixes to win the game with 22 balls to spare and lifted the net-run rate of Mumbai Indians.
Southern Express will be playing their final game against Lahore Lions on 16th September.
Chief Scores:
Southern Express – 161/6 in 20 overs: Farveez Maharoof 41*, Danushka Gunathilake 30, Angelo Perera 28, Jalaj Saxena 1/3, Kieron Pollard 1/18, Lasith Malinga 1/28.
Mumbai Indians – 165/1 in 16.2 overs: Lendl Simmons 76*, Michael Hussey 60, Kieron Pollard 20*, Sachith Pathirana 1/26.
