The Cape Cobras have left themselves a stiff task to qualify for the play-offs of the Champions League T20 tournament after letting slip what would have been a valuable victory against the Chennai Super Kings last night.
Playing against the defending champions on their home ground in Chennai, Justin Kemp’s men lost by four wickets with two balls remaining.
The Cobras were restricted from going big in the final overs of their innings before ending on 145 for seven wickets.
It was going to be a tough task defending that total, with dew making gripping the ball difficult for the bowlers, but the Cobras stayed in the hunt until a disastrous 19th over from Dale Steyn, in which he conceded 17 runs. The Steyn nightmare, in which he began by presenting Chennai batting hero Dwayne Bravo with a slow full-toss which was thumped all of 102 metres for the biggest six of the tournament to date, meant that the eventual winners had to get only six runs in the final over.
The appointed bowler, Charl Langeveldt had no price, and the Cobras were left to reflect on what could have been.
Bravo (46 not out off 25 balls, three fours and two sixes) was the difference as he clubbed 16 off the last four balls of the 19th over (six, four, four, two).
Chennai batted deep, as South African all-rounder Albie Morkel only came in at No 8 in the order, and had the luxury of watching his West Indian partner do all the big hitting that was needed.
The Cobras were much improved in the field last night, compared to their first game. However, JP Duminy who had an excellent game otherwise, boobed when he dropped Chennai captain MS Dhoni, then on 11, in the 17th over, off Steyn.
On the cover boundary, Duminy raced in too quickly, and made a vain dive as the ball sailed over his finger-tips.
Dhoni (15 off 17 balls) played on off Vernon Philander in the next over, but if he had gone earlier, much pressure would have been placed on the men in yellow. A second defeat would – they lost their first match against the Mumbai Indians – could have sealed their exit from the tournament.
Earlier in his role as a seamer Bravo (2-23) had applied the brakes at the end of the Cobras innings, with Morkel (2-26) and Doug Bollinger (2-25) also proving miserly.
Owais Shah (45 off 38 balls, three fours and a six) and Duminy (29 off 24, two fours and a six) added 57 runs for the fourth wicket for the Cobras, but got out to Morkel in the space of three balls in the 17th over when the push should have come.
The Cobras off-spin duo of Duminy (4-20) and Justing Ontong (three overs for 15 runs) were tight in the middle of the innings, but the side got sloppy in the death overs.
Next up for the Cobras are the Mumbai Indians, unbeaten log-leaders in Group A. For this they have to travel to Bangalore from Chennai, where they played their first two matches.
Both this clash and the Cape side’s last fixture in the round-robin stages, against Trinidad & Tobago back in Chennai on Tuesday, are must-win encountners. Three wins should guarantee progress to the semi-finals, and all the Group A teams have already played twice.
Mumbai have won both their matches, New South Wales Blues, Chennai and the Cobras one each, and Trinidad & Tobago are winless.
Mumbai, being led by Harbhajan Singh but missing Sachin Tendulkar (injured) have done Harry Houdini proud so far. In their opener against Chennai at the weekend they won by three wickets off the penultimate ball of the match, and on Monday they pipped Trinidad & Tobago by one wicket off the final delivery. - Cape Argus