Both Rajasthan and Hyderabad had had a very good tournament. Not too many would have expected them to come through to the playoffs and edging out teams like Bangalore and Kolkata to make it here was big. Tonight, one of those teams has entered the semi-final (second qualifier) and their captain Rahul Dravid has laid the gauntlet for the Mumbai Indians. That should be another cracker. For now though, it's all we have from here, have a good, good night!

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Presentation time.

White: Ebbed and flowed in those last few minutes, mixed emotions, Hodgey showed his true class. Good show from us through the tournament but disappointed to lose from here. We will be back next year, fighting harder. We weren't relying on any one person so that was a good thing.

Dravid: Been a pretty difficult week for us but to play a game like this and win was good. Didn't bat too well in that period between 7th-10th over, but it's a young side and they will learn. Hodge put his hand up and got us through. These games are competitive and there's always going to be a bit of a needle. Mumbai is a very good side, in some ways the pressure is on them. In many ways we have a moneyball team and will look to get going at Eden Gardens.

Brad Hodge is the man of the match: Was looking to get the Chris Gayle distance than the Hodge distance in the 19th over! Quite a frustrating week last and so was a good thing to dust it off and play cricket. There's been a lot of celebration going on in the tournament and I was just trying to show that I have got children too with my celebration.

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Exciting match in the end, with Rajasthan coming out on top. There wasn't much to choose from till the very end but the Hodge knock proved to be a crucial one, almost took the opposition by surprise. It must be said that Samson, despite being slow, played his part too in stalling the wicket-flow and that helped the Royals in the end.

Well done Hyderabad to have got back into the game on a couple of occasions there, once while batting and getting 65 off the last six and then picking up those wickets in the middle of the Rajasthan innings to restrict them to 57/5 in 10. Hodge got them out of trouble with that smacking half-century!

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Shikhar Ahuja: "When the commentators wee praising Sammy as someone who couldn't do no wrong earlier today, I was just thinking to myself, "All it takes is one over to spoil your day." Well played Sammy, looking forward to see you play for the Windies team soon."

sh: "SRH might have lost the match but most of them like me would say... SRH TAKE A BOW....You deserve it..."

Jai: "I was just about to say "Experience pays off" but what Hodgey did after hitting the winning runs was a tad uncool."

Sajitha Thoma: "ha ha.. Wat a way to end the match.. Sammy hit 2 sixes to take them to this position and now concedes those 2 sixes to keep them at the same position"

Viral Patel: "C.White missed the trick in last 5 overs. 5 Overs left, 3 from Perera and 2 from Steyn and he gave 16th over to Steyn. Had 16th over bowled by Perera, then Sammy would have never required to bowl. Bad Decision and Wrong Calculation cost Sun Risers the game."

Abhishek: "This means that CSK, MI and RR are in Champions League, correct?" Correct.

Sandeep: "We say this every season. Hodge is one of the best players who didn't get his due in the international stint. he even came one down once and got a double hundred in England. Only to be dropped the very next series. Well played today Hodge...."

Bandish: "Is it just me who actually enjoyed Hodge's shenanigans after winning the match? For one, he was just reciprocating the "child's play" signal to the person who started it!! And also shows how intense the players get!!"

Deepz: "What was it Hodge doing after hitting the second six..Was he pulling Samy ? OR did he have a baby too ?" He was rocking the cradle.

asjad: "That was some taliking by Rahul Dravid!! Putting pressure on Mumbai!!"

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19.2
6
Sammy to Hodge, SIX, was fuller and he's been hit straight and over the long-on region for a six to finish it off, what a shot to win a Champions League T20 place!
19.1
6
Sammy to Hodge, SIX, short of length and that's been hit over backward square-leg for a six! that's not the best ball you would bowl at this stage of the game, and Hodge takes full toll of it with the fine-leg up in side the circle

Gone down to the last over. 10 needed from six. Hodge takes first strike. Sammy has the ball. Gets his field sorted. Hyderabad had scored 10 off the last over too.

END OF OVER:
19 | 5 Runs | RR: 123/6 (10 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.47, RRR: 10.00)

  • Brad Hodge42 (27b)
  • James Faulkner11 (11b)
  • Thisara Perera3-0-14-0
  • Dale Steyn4-0-23-1
18.6
1
Perera to Hodge, 1 run, full-toss outside the off stump, that round-arm action that so resembles Waqar Younis' and he plays it to the off side for a single
18.5
0
Perera to Hodge, no run, and was looking to hit it hard yet again, why is he slogging all of them, hits it back to the bowler on the bouce
18.4
2
Perera to Hodge, 2 runs, finally he gets it off the middle of the bat, cracked through the off side, he was looking to mow it across the line all this while but this time he's caressed it through the covers, White does well to get close to it, but still gets them two

13 from nine now.

18.3
0
Perera to Hodge, no run, and a third swing, this is wider outside the off stump and misses, to the wicket-keeper

Capt Obvious: "That was quite un-Steyn-esque over..not disciplined at all!"

18.2
0
Perera to Hodge, no run, another one, he was looking to slog it for the second time in as many balls and for the second time, he gets an inside edge, rolls back to the bowler

13 from 11. Stops at the end of his bowling run-up.

18.1
2
Perera to Hodge, 2 runs, ooh, wants to swing it across the line there, gets only an inside edge and wants to go for a single, Perera rushes across quickly and has a shy at the non-striker's end, was a poor throw and that allows them to come back for the second

10 off that Steyn over.

15 needed off 12. Discussion between White, Parthiv and Sammy. And they call up Perera to bowl this one.

Karthik T: "Steyn is like the nitro-boost in racing games. You need to time his use perfectly."

END OF OVER:
18 | 10 Runs | RR: 118/6 (15 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.55, RRR: 7.50)

  • James Faulkner11 (11b)
  • Brad Hodge37 (21b)
  • Dale Steyn4-0-23-1
  • Thisara Perera2-0-9-0
17.6
0
Steyn to Faulkner, no run, shorter in length and was looking to play it down to third-man, misses the outside edge
17.6
2w
Steyn to Hodge, 2 wides, down the leg side and that's another wide given, this was a wide alright, not clipped anything this time, Parthiv has a shy at it and Steyn misses it, overthrow there
17.5
1
Steyn to Faulkner, 1 run, full-toss this, was looking for another yorker I think and it's been tapped down to long-off for a single
17.4
4
Steyn to Faulkner, FOUR, cracking shot, that's the best you can expect a number eight against a bowler of Steyn's calibre, was a fuller ball and smacked through the covers for a four!
17.3
0
Steyn to Faulkner, no run, fuller on the middle and he wants to hit over the leg side, hit straight to the short mid-wicket fielder there
17.3
2w
Steyn to Hodge, 2 wides, bad ball that, down the leg side but well kept by the keeper, it's a wide and could have easily gone away for a four, it's given a wide but it's come off his pads there!

Steyn's feeling ill. Calling out for some water. But now he's alright. Seems like an insect in his mouth.

17.2
1
Steyn to Faulkner, 1 run, tailing into the batsman and he was looking to swing away, gets an inside edge to the mid-wicket fielder, White should have fielded that, he could have got the batsman out, run-out, fumbles it and they are able to get back for one
17.1
0
Steyn to Faulkner, no run, outside the off stump, on a length and he was looking to give himself some room to smack it over the off side, misses

25 needed off 18. Steyn to bowl his last.

END OF OVER:
17 | 6 Runs | RR: 108/6 (25 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 6.35, RRR: 8.33)

  • Brad Hodge37 (21b)
  • James Faulkner5 (5b)
  • Thisara Perera2-0-9-0
  • Dale Steyn3-0-13-1
16.6
0
Perera to Hodge, no run, short of length outside the off and that's cracked, off the middle of the bat and it's been straight to the point fielder
16.5
1
Perera to Faulkner, 1 run, pulls back the length and gets it back on line, middle stump, gets an inside edge to which there's an appeal, pops out nearby for a single

RR 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st13R DravidAM Rahane
2nd37SR WatsonAM Rahane
3rd3DH YagnikAM Rahane
4th2STR BinnyAM Rahane
5th2STR BinnySV Samson
6th45BJ HodgeSV Samson
7th33BJ HodgeJP Faulkner