Raipur, Sept 16:
A substandard batting performance from defending champions Mumbai Indians led to their elimination from the Champions League as Northern Knights won their third qualification game in a row, in Raipur. An all-round display from Knights handed Mumbai their second loss in three matches, leading to a six-wicket loss for them, which made Knights and Lahore Lions qualify for the main tournament.
All three teams were in the fray to advance to the next stage and Mumbai had to win the match, by any margin, to qualify. But once they were put in to bat, their attempts to win the match, or even put on a challenging score, went out of the window when they were reduced to 46 for 5 by the Knights pacers in the 11th over. The lower order helped them recover, but the chase of 133 was made easy by the Knights openers in another convincing win for them.
Desperate to get a strong start, Mumbai never got in the groove when Trent Boult and Tim Southee stifled them early on with their nagging lines outside off, conceding only 11 in the first four overs, and accounting for Michael Hussey. Even though first-change Scott Kuggeleijn conceded 15 in the fifth over, Scott Styris ran through Mumbai’s batting with three wickets. He got rid of Jalaj Saxena, Lendl Simmons and Aditya Tare when all three of them made room to target the off side. Saxena handed a low catch to short cover, Simmons missed completely and lost his off stump and Tare looked to cut late but the ball bounced a tad extra and took an edge to land in a BJ Watling’s gloves. (Agencies)
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