CLT20: Perth Scorchers weather a Lahore Lions attack

Lahore team bows out; CSK qualifies for the semifinals

September 30, 2014 08:09 pm | Updated April 20, 2016 03:06 am IST - Bangalore

Bangalore  Karnataka 30/09/2014     Perth Scorchers  Mitchell Marsh in action during the match against  Lahore Lions at  the Champions League Twenty 20  at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday.
Photo: Sampath Kumar G P

Bangalore Karnataka 30/09/2014 Perth Scorchers Mitchell Marsh in action during the match against Lahore Lions at the Champions League Twenty 20 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday.
Photo: Sampath Kumar G P

Lahore Lions nearly orchestrated a spectacular coup in its bid to seal a Champions League T20 semifinal spot here on Tuesday, but a late recovery inspired by Perth Scorchers' Mitchell Marsh (63 n.o., 38b, 7x4, 3x6) and Brad Hogg (28 n.o., 19b, 2x4, 2x6) quashed the uprising.

The duo’s unbeaten 68-run partnership for the eighth wicket gave Perth a three-wicket win. Lahore thus failed to qualify from the league stage and Chennai Super Kings qualified as a result.

Lahore, which needed to win by at least 45 runs to make the grade, faced a nearly impossible task after mustering just 124 for six in its 20 overs. A top-order collapse during Perth’s chase, however, meant that proceedings veered from the expected script.

The Pakistan bowlers — spearheaded by offie Mohammad Hafeez — reduced the Australians to 40 for six, and it was left to Mitchell Marsh to steady the ship. The Lions, who employed a short-leg, silly point and slip nearly throughout the innings, sensed an imminent miracle when the seventh wicket fell in Yasir Arafat.

Up to the task

Brag Hogg was expected to capitulate like the others before him, but the southpaw was more than up to the task.

The 43-year-old struck off-spinner Adnan Rasool for two fours and a six in the 14th over to take his side past the magic 78-run mark, which sent Lahore out of the semifinal race.

Earlier, Lahore’s all-or-nothing approach saw the side pushed on the backfoot as early as in the first over, when Joel Paris knocked out Nasir Jamshed and Umar Siddiq. Jamshed’s attempted flick landed in Brad Hogg’s lap at deep square-leg seconds before rain interrupted proceedings.

Three balls into the restart, Siddiq’s loose pull made no contact with an indipper — the ball clipped the top of off-stump.

Skipper Mohammed Hafeez then fell in the next over, quickly followed by Wahab Riaz, and the side slipped to 11 for four. It was now time to show caution — a fact not lost on Saad Nasim and Umar Akmal.

The trigger-happy way was shed, as the duo — it made a risk-free 43 off 27 balls for the fifth wicket — focussed on building the innings.

Akmal’s departure brought in Mohammad Saeed (20 off 26 balls), who kept Nasim (69 n.o., 55b, 7x4, 1x6) company nearly till the end. This lower-order resurrection kept Lahore in the fray, but its bowlers were left with just too high a mountain to climb.

Brief scores :

Lahore Lions : 124 for six in 20 overs (Saad Nasim 69 not out, Umar Akmal 26, Mohammad Saeed 20; Joel Paris 3/22, Mitchell Marsh 2/12)

Perth Scorchers : 130 for seven in 19 overs (Mitchell Marsh 63 not out, Brad Hogg 28 not out; Mohammad Hafeez 2/8).

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