Lendl Simmons and Mike Hussey lead Mumbai Indians to Victory with half centuries
Michael Hussey of Mumbai Indians and Lendl simmons of Mumbai Indians run between the wickets during the qualifier 4 match of the Oppo Champions League Twenty20 between the Mumbai Indians and the Southern Express held at the Chhattisgarh
Raipur: Openers Lendl Simmons and Mike Hussey struck commanding fifties to hand Mumbai Indians a resounding 9-wicket win over Sri Lankan outfit Southern Express and keep their team in the hunt for the main draw of the Oppo Champions League Twenty20, here on Sunday .
Chasing 162 for a win in the qualifying match, Mumbai rode a clinical 139-run opening stand between Simmons (76 not out) and Hussey (60 off 40 deliveries) to achieve their target in 16.2 overs.
The veteran Australian left-hander, hitting 5 fours and 3 sixes, and West Indian Simmons, his 51-ball knock laced with 11 fours and a six, combined like fire and ice to make batting look simple and the Express bowling attack look pedestrian.
Hussey’s charge ended in the 15th over with leg-spinner Sachith Pathirana getting him caight at deep square leg.But Lendl carried on and in a fitting end, skipper Kieron Pollard (20 no out) hit two powerful sixes to complete the formalities for Mumbai, who had lost their first qualifier against Lahore Lions.
Earlier put into bat, Southern Express rode Farveez Maharoof’s 22-ball 41 to post 161 for 6 in 20 overs. Maharoof though was given a huge life by Shreyas Gopal, who dropped the all-rounder on 6, after spilling a sitter on Ojha’s bowling.
The lanky player made the most it as he hit 3 fours and 2 sixes and stitched a crucial 58-run sixth-wicket partnership with Angelo Perera (28) to give them respectability after losing half their side for 90.
Scorecard
Southern Express: K. Perera c Gopal b Bumrah 8, M. Gunathilaka c Harbhajan Singh b Jalaj S Saxena 30, A. Lanka c Rayudu b Pollard 9, J. Mubarak b Ojha 16, A. Perera b Malinga 28, S. Prasanna (run out) 15, M. Maharoof (not out) 41, M. Perera (not out) 0. Extras (b4, lb3, w4, nb3) 14. Total (for six wickets in 20 overs) 161.
FoW: 1-13, 2-40, 3-50, 4-65, 5-90, 6-148.
Bowling: Harbhajan 4-1-18-0, Bumrah 3-0-23-1, Malinga 4-0-28-1, Gopal 2-0-29-0, Pollard 2-0-18-1, Jalaj S Saxena 1-0-3-1, Ojha 4-0-35-1.
Mumbai Indians: L. Simmons (not out) 76, M Hussey c A.K. Perera b Pathirana 60, K. Pollard (not out) 20. Extras (lb 1, w 8) 9 Total (1 wicket; 16.2 overs) 165. FoW: 1-139.
Bowling: W. Jayampathi 3-0-14-0, F. Maharoof 3-0-39-0 H.I.A. Jayaratne 4-0-38-0, M.D.K. Perera 3-0-28-0, S. Prasanna 2-0-19-0, S.S. Pathirana 1.2-0-
26-1.
( Source : PTI )
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