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Chennai - Trinidad & Tobago kept their semi-final hopes alive and ended those of the Cape Cobras in yet another dramatic match at the Champions League T20 on Tuesday.
The Caribbean champions won by two wickets with two balls to spare, chasing down the Cobras’ total of 137/4.
The Cobras finish with three points which is not enough to qualify for the knock-out phase. Trinidad have four points which could be enough to qualify depending on the outcome of the final Group A match between the New South Wales Blues and the Chennai Super Kings.
The Cobras looked as though they had the game well under control when the required rate for their opponents soared to 12 runs an over but for the second match in a row the victors had the man for the moment in Kevon Cooper, who hit an unbeaten 25 off 11 balls with a six and two fours. He really clinched the game in the 19th over from Dale Steyn that cost 15 runs, leaving the winners to get a very gettable nine runs off the last over.
Cooper hit a four off Charl Langeveldt’s second delivery of the final over and the bowler compounded the Cobras’ problems by bowling a front foot no ball.
It was this bowling indiscipline that cost the Cobras as much as anything else as they gave away five front foot no balls, including three from Rory Kleinveldt in one over.
You had to feel sorry for Steyn who, bowled brilliantly up front to take 1/3 in his opening spell of three overs , including a remarkable 14 dot balls.
In the end, though, the Cobras’ bowling honours went to their captain, Justin Kemp, who took 3/22 in his four overs to put his side into what looked like a winning position until Cooper’s late onslaught.
The Cobras innings was built around the third wicket partnership of 87 from 11 overs between Dane Vilas (54 off 44 balls with 7 fours) and Owais Shah (63 not out off 50 balls with 6 fours and a six) after the two openers had been dismissed with only 10 runs on the board.
Once again the Cobras were unable to accelerate in their last five overs which produced only 35 runs.
The Caribbean champions won by two wickets with two balls to spare, chasing down the Cobras’ total of 137/4.
The Cobras finish with three points which is not enough to qualify for the knock-out phase. Trinidad have four points which could be enough to qualify depending on the outcome of the final Group A match between the New South Wales Blues and the Chennai Super Kings.
The Cobras looked as though they had the game well under control when the required rate for their opponents soared to 12 runs an over but for the second match in a row the victors had the man for the moment in Kevon Cooper, who hit an unbeaten 25 off 11 balls with a six and two fours. He really clinched the game in the 19th over from Dale Steyn that cost 15 runs, leaving the winners to get a very gettable nine runs off the last over.
Cooper hit a four off Charl Langeveldt’s second delivery of the final over and the bowler compounded the Cobras’ problems by bowling a front foot no ball.
It was this bowling indiscipline that cost the Cobras as much as anything else as they gave away five front foot no balls, including three from Rory Kleinveldt in one over.
You had to feel sorry for Steyn who, bowled brilliantly up front to take 1/3 in his opening spell of three overs , including a remarkable 14 dot balls.
In the end, though, the Cobras’ bowling honours went to their captain, Justin Kemp, who took 3/22 in his four overs to put his side into what looked like a winning position until Cooper’s late onslaught.
The Cobras innings was built around the third wicket partnership of 87 from 11 overs between Dane Vilas (54 off 44 balls with 7 fours) and Owais Shah (63 not out off 50 balls with 6 fours and a six) after the two openers had been dismissed with only 10 runs on the board.
Once again the Cobras were unable to accelerate in their last five overs which produced only 35 runs.
