Champions League

Champions League T20 JP Duminy knocks up 99*

In the opening game of the Champions League T20, the Cape Cobras (winners of the Standard Bank Pro20 2009) took on the Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) (runners up of the second IPL).

RCB batted first posting a good total of 180 runs, the main contributors to the RCB Innings were Robin Uthappa with his 51 runs from 39 balls and New Zealander Ross Taylor with 53 not out off 23 balls. Jacques Kallis didn’t add many as he was out for 8 runs from the bowling of Charl Langeveldt.

Langeveldt later left the field injured with bowling figures of 3 overs, 12 runs and 1 wicket. This is a major loss for the Cape Cobras as Langeveldt is easily the best T20 bowler in world cricket, there was talk that he could be out of the game for a few weeks with a shoulder injury.

With a good total on the scoreboard and playing at home, RCB must have been favored to win when Herschelle Gibbs was dismissed for a golden duck in the first over. Shortly after Gibbs’ dismissal Andrew Puttick followed leaving the Cape Cobras at 14/2.

Enter JP Duminy; Duminy took control of the RCB bowlers very quickly, hitting Jacques Kallis for consecutive boundaries. Duminy hit the bowlers all over the park in a quality innings, knocking up 99* off just 52 balls, which included five 6’s and eight 4’s. Duminy was unlucky not to have reached what would have been his maiden T20 century. He hit a 6 followed by a single, which left the game tied and himself stranded on 99*,  Rory Kleinveldt finished off the game with two balls remaining.

Congratulations to JP Duminy for his 99* of 52 balls which earned him the man of the match award, and put the Cape Cobras in a good position.