BANGALORE, India, CMC – JP Duminy reeled off a superb unbeaten 99 to catapult Cape Cobras to a five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match of the Twenty20 Champions League yesterday.
The elegant left-hander stroked eight fours and five sixes as Cape Cobras chased down their target of 181, reaching 184 for five with two balls left to spare at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Entering with Cape Cobras in a spot of bother at 62 for three in the eighth over, Duminy dominated two partnerships to push Cape Cobras over the line.
He first added 31 from 26 balls for the fourth wicket with Justin Ontong (19) before putting together a match-winning partnership of 61 off 36 balls for the fifth wicket with Ryan Canning (20).
His innings was needed after 23-year-old medium pacer Praveen Kumar had handed Royal Challengers the advantage with his three-wicket burst at the top of the innings. The right-armer, who finished with three for 32, removed Hershelle Gibbs without scoring to the last ball of the first over and then also accounted for the other opener Andrew Puttick for 11, in his next over.
Henry Davids threatened with 27 from 21 balls before becoming Kumar’s third victim.
Earlier, Ross Taylor and Robin Uthappa both slammed half-centuries as Royal Challengers raised 180 for four off their allotted 20 overs after winning the toss.
Taylor carved out four fours and four sixes off just 24 balls in his unbeaten knock while Uthappa faced 39 balls and hammered seven fours and two sixes.
Uthappa shared a 68-run, second wicket stand with Rahul Dravid (28) after Royal Challengers slipped to 14 for one in the third over.
Taylor then gave the innings impetus in an unbroken 65-run, fifth wicket stand with Manish Pandey (10).
SCOREBOARD
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (20 overs maximum)
J. Kallis c wkpr Canning
b Langeveldt 8
R. Uthappa c Gibbs
b Zondeki 51
R. Dravid
run out (Philander/+Canning) 28
V. Kohli st Canning
b Henderson 17
R. Taylor not out 53
M. Pandey not out 10
Extras: (lb4, w9) 13
TOTAL: (4 wkts, 20 overs) 180
R. van der Merwe, +M. Boucher, P. Kumar, R. Vinay Kumar, *A. Kumble did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Kallis, 2.6 overs); 2-82 (Uthappa, 10.5); 3-97 (Dravid, 12.6); 4-115 (Kohli, 15.2)
Bowling: Langeveldt 3-0-12-1 (w1); Kleinveldt 4-0-45-0 (w1); Philander 2-0-21-0 (w1); Zondeki 4-0-39-1 (w1); Henderson 4-0-34-1; Ontong 3-0-25-0 (w5)
CAPE COBRAS (target: 181 off 20 overs)
*A. Puttick c Kohli
b P. Kumar 11
H. Gibbs c wkpr Boucher
b P. Kumar 0
H. Davids c Kohli
b R.V. Kumar 27
J. Duminy not out 99
J. Ontong b van der Merwe 19
+R. Canning c Kumble
b P. Kumar 20
R. Kleinveldt not out 5
Extras: (b1, lb1, nb1) 3
TOTAL:(5 wkts, 19.4 overs) 184
V. Philander, C. Henderson, M. Zondeki, C. Langeveldt did not bat
Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Gibbs, 0.6 overs); 2-14 (*Puttick, 2.4 overs); 3-62 (Davids, 7.6); 4-103 (Ontong, 12.2); 5-164 (Canning, 18.2)
Bowling: P. Kumar 4-0-32-3; Kallis 2-0-18-0; R.V. Kumar 3.4-0-40-1; *Kumble 4-0-35-0 (nb1); van der Merwe 4-0-34-1; Kohli 2-0-23-0
Result: Cape Cobras won by five wickets
Points: Cape Cobras 2, Royal Challengers Bangalore 0
Toss: Royal Challengers Bangalore
Umpires: B. Jerling, R. Tiffin
TV umpire: S. Tarapore
Match referee: S. Venkataraghavan
Reserve umpire: S. Ranade
Man-of-the-Match: Jean-Paul Duminy (Cape Cobras)
