Chennai Super Kings won the Champions League Twenty20 tournament, defeating Eastern Cape Warriors by eight wickets in Sunday's final.
The victory was set up by Chennai's spinners, R. Ashwin and Muttiah Muralitharan, who between them claimed five wickets for 32 runs from eight overs. Their performance helped Chennai restrict Warriors to 128 for seven in 20 overs.
Michael Hussey (51 n.o.) and M. Vijay (58) controlled the chase by batting sensibly. They ran well between the wickets after dropping the ball at their feet.
Vijay was the more aggressive of the two. He played the lofted inside-out drive particularly well, scoring two sixes and a four with the stroke.
Reprieve
Vijay offered a chance on 15, but the edge flew between the wicketkeeper and first slip. On 34, Mark Boucher failed to stump him off Nicky Boje. He was eventually out to Boje, but he had played his part in Chennai's triumph.
It got slightly tense towards the end but Hussey's calmness and Dhoni's ability to find the boundary sealed the win.
Vijay's innings helped him win the ‘Golden Bat' award as the tournament's top run-scorer. His team-mate, Ashwin, took the ‘Golden Wicket' award for the most wickets.
Turning point
It was Ashwin's dismissal of the dangerous Davey Jacobs that turned the match.
Jacobs had attacked Chennai's new-ball bowlers, hitting eight fours in his 21-ball 34. But Ashwin found the Warriors captain in front of his stumps after the batsman had failed to connect with a reverse-sweep.
Ashwin and L. Balaji bowled with discipline, as Warriors, 39 without loss after four overs, crawled to 58 for two in nine overs.
Muralitharan struck twice in the 14{+t}{+h} over, bowling Mark Boucher and having Justin Kreusch caught by a diving Raina, to give Chennai complete control.
Craig Thyssen hit Balaji for two fours and a six, but Ashwin ended the sixth-wicket partnership when he deceived Johan Botha with a carrom ball.
Muralitharan then bowled an excellent 20{+t}{+h} over, dismissing Thyssen and giving away only four runs, to cap an outstanding effort from Chennai's spinners.
The scores:
Eastern Cape Warriors: D. Jacobs lbw b Ashwin 34 (21b, 8x4), A. Prince b Bollinger 6 (9b), C. Ingram c Raina b Morkel 16 (23b, 1x4), J. Kreusch c Raina b Muralitharan 17 (17b, 1x4), M. Boucher b Muralitharan 5 (11b), J. Botha c Anirudha b Ashwin 7 (10b), C. Thyssen c Anirudha b Muralitharan 25 (18b, 3x4, 1x6), N. Boje (not out) 8 (10b), J. Theron (not out) 2 (1b), Extras (lb-4, w-4) 8. Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs) 128.
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-45, 3-73, 4-81, 5-82, 6-111, 7-125.
Chennai bowling: Bollinger 4-0-33-1, Morkel 4-0-31-1, Ashwin 4-0-16-2, Balaji 4-0-28-0, Muralitharan 4-0-16-3.
Chennai Super Kings: M. Hussey (not out) 51 (46b, 3x4), M. Vijay c Kreusch b Boje 58 (53b, 6x4, 2x6), S. Raina c Botha b Ntini 2 (3b), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 17 (12b, 2x4, 1x6), Extras (lb-1, w-3) 4; Total (for two wkts. in 19 overs) 132.
Fall of wickets: 1-103, 2-107.
Warriors bowling: Ntini 4-0-30-1, Tsotsobe 3-0-14-0, Theron 4-0-40-0, Botha 4-0-18-0, Boje 4-0-29-1.
