END OF OVER:20 | 6 Runs | DC: 117/9 (23 runs required, RR: 5.85)
- Morne Morkel18 (16b)
- Umesh Yadav1 (2b)
- Sohail Tanvir4-0-22-1
- Dirk Nannes4-0-34-2
"Did anyone else feel a bit sick and depressed when Taylor mentioned IPL only in a few months? Honestly getting sick of all these drawn out T20 leagues." I hear you, Shih-Lon, but that's the future, I am being told. On that depressing note, it's goodbye for now. I'll see you guys tomorrow for the second semi-final. Cheers
Quotes from presentation
"The guys did really well up front," says MoM Neil McKenzie. "Bodi and Alviro set up a good platform. I just came out and pushed around. We were about 10 short, but the bowlers fired on all cylinders tonight. We needed to hit our four-day lengths on this wicket, and that's what we did. All the bowlers deserve the Man of the Match as a unit. No preference who plays us in the final, best of the luck to the Titans and the Sixers."
"The bowling was spot on today," says Alviro Petersen. "We needed our guys to go up that 10% extra, and they did. Chris Morris was special. We needed one of our three fast bowlers to come to the party in the Powerplay, and he did. Neil's experience was vital, Gulam played a nice innings too. Batting wise, we can improve, but we did well today. We love to play at Wanderers. We will celebrate tonight, and tomorrow, but we will be on the button come Sunday."
"We let ourselves down in the field," says Ross Taylor. "We gave 20-25 extra in the field. It was definitely gettable, but they bowled really well. Credit to them. We should have got the 140. We gave it all, but we were not good enough. We have IPL coming up in a few months, hopefully we can learn from these mistakes."
Bizarre bizarre game. Lions were superb in the field, but Delhi had a collective brain fade. This is not the time to analyse, though. Watch the red thunder celebrate. Phangiso has got a stump. They are all nodding to McKenzie too. Fireworks all around. And hugs among the men in red too
Back to the bizarre events now. Forget the selection, with captain sitting out for somebody who hadn't played a single delivery in this tournament. Chasing 138, look at Daredevils' order. Chand and Pathan ahead of the reluctant Taylor, who eventually batted at No. 6. And then even Pawan Negi ahead of Ajit Agarkar. As you have already pointed out many times, this is keeping in with the Daredevils' trend. They made some bizarre moves even in the IPL semi-final. With Mahela part of this think-tank, it is not quite unrelated how Sri Lanka are known for similar bizarre selections. I remember they played in last year's World Cup final a man who had not been part of the original squad and hadn't played a single match until then. Suraj Randiv it was, I recall. Oh well, also Chamara Kapugedera played only his second match. And Chaminda Vaas came out of cold storage and nearly played the final
"No IPL Pun's yet? or are the censor's working overtime so as not to offend the BCCI/IPL Honchos?" Rakesh, we don't kick those who are down already
More than six per ball now
"I just cant understand whats wrong with DD captains, SEHWAG : Hands Over The Captaincy To JAYA, Who Does not Want To play And Hands over The captaincy to TAYLOR, who does not want to come to bat and sends in Irfan first! Just bizarre!" Aryan sums it up
END OF OVER:19 | 7 Runs 1 Wkt | DC: 111/9 (29 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 5.84, RRR: 29.00)
- Morne Morkel17 (12b)
- Umesh Yadav0 (0b)
- Dirk Nannes4-0-34-2
- Sohail Tanvir3-0-20-1
"DD's tombstone will feature Chand at 4 and pathan at 5" And Sekhon, Mahela in invisible ink
Umesh Yadav comes in. Lions one wicket from the final. Nannes will want to do it with a hat-trick
AB Agarkar c Petersen b Nannes 2 (13m 7b 0x4 0x6) SR: 28.57
Red Thunder are all but there. They can sense it. They need to make sure they don't concede three a ball now. Not bowling extras should do it for them. Nannes comes back
END OF OVER:18 | 10 Runs | DC: 104/8 (36 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 5.77, RRR: 18.00)
- Ajit Agarkar2 (6b)
- Morne Morkel10 (7b)
- Sohail Tanvir3-0-20-1
- Chris Morris4-0-7-2
Round the wicket
Sohail Tanvir is back now. Has two overs to go
END OF OVER:17 | 2 Runs 1 Wkt | DC: 94/8 (46 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 5.52, RRR: 15.33)
- Morne Morkel1 (3b)
- Ajit Agarkar1 (4b)
- Chris Morris4-0-7-2
- Aaron Phangiso4-0-18-2
End of a match-winning spell surely? 4-0-7-2. And two wickets of Pietersen and Warner
Morne Morkel to face now. He must be hoping he was with the Titans. Or maybe not
Usually it's not over until Agarkar has had a hit, but this might be too much for him too