Shikhar Dhawan continued his rich form with the bat when he guided Sunrisers Hyderabad to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Kandurata Maroons in the Champions League T20 qualifier at the Punjab Cricket Association, Mohali, on Tuesday.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD INNINGS
Sunrisers just six runs away from winning their first match in the qualifier of the Champions League T20.
Thisara Perera takes over from Dhawan hitting Mendis for two fours. SH now need 20 from 18 with eight wickets in hand.
Dhawan tries a reverse sweep and top-edges one to Kulasekara and fine leg.
Shikhar Dhawan c Kulasekara b Mendis 71 (53b, 11x4, 0x6)
Sunrisers cruising towards their target. Need another 33 from 24 balls with nine wickets in hand.
Sunrisers need another 38 runs from 30 balls. Easy going considering Dhawan is not out on 68.
Jayasuriya finally gets the breakthrough after Patel holes out to Jayaratne at mid-on. SH 122 for 1 after 14 overs.
Parthiv Patel c Jayaratne b Jayasuriya 52 (42b, 7x4, 0x6)
Sunrisers seem to inch towards their target without much ado. After 13 overs they are 118 for no loss.
Dhawan leads from the front with a 50 off 35 balls which consisted eight fours. Patel followed suit with his half century from 37 balls with seven fours.
Sunrisers 100 for no loss after 10.4 overs, need another 69 to win.
Sunrisers move into the nineties after 10 overs with Dhawan and Patel unbeaten on 46 and 41 respectively. Same stage were Kandurata 70 for 2.
Sunrisers 80 for no loss after nine overs.
Dhawan continues his assault despite bowling changes. Hits Jayasuriya for back-to-back boundaries.
SH race to 76 for no loss after eight overs. Need another 93 from 72 balls.
Sunrisers 64 for no loss after seven overs.
Mendis proves expensive, hit for three boundaries by Dhawan. SH 58 for no loss after six overs.
Dhawan bring up the 50 for Sunrisers with a shot down the leg side off Ajantha Mendis.
Dhawan and Patel look set for a big score. SH cruising nicely at 44 for no loss after 5 overs.
Shikhar Dhawan clobbers him for two fours as Sunrisers reach 35 for no loss after four overs.
Bowling changes don’t seem to help Kandurata as Dilhara Lokuhettige is put nto the sword this time.
The wicket-keeper batsman pulls Kulasekara for two fours. Score climbs to 25 for no loss after three overs.
Nuwan Kulasekara replaces Jayasuriya but is given the same treatment by Patel.
Parthiv Patel finds the gap between covers to send Lahiru Jayaratne to the ropes and then lofts him again over mid-on as Sunrisers are off to a good start at 14 for no loss from two overs in their chase of 169.
Sunrisers off to a slow start as Kandurata surprisingly open with right-arm off-spinner Shehan Jayasuriya. SH two for no loss.
Skipper Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara scored fifties to lift Kandurata Maroons to a formidable total of 168 against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Thirimanne notched 54 off 39 balls with two sixes and five fours, while Sangakkara played second fiddle and remained unbeaten on 61 from 46 balls with seven fours.
Dilhara Lokuhettige upped the ante towards the end to remain unbeaten on 21 from 10 balls with a six and two boundaries off Perera’s last over.
KANDURATA MAROONS INNINGS
Kandurata Maroons manage a defendable total of 168 after fifties from skipper Lahiru Thirimanne and veteran Kumar Sangakkara.
Sangakkara remained unbeaten on 61 from 44 balls with seven fours.
Dilhara Lokuhettige upped the ante towards the end to remain unbeaten on 21 from 10 balls with a six and two boundaries.
Steyn concedes five runs in last over as KM reach 157 for 3 with an over to go.
Steyn finishes with figures of 4-0-35-0.
Sangakkara shifts gears as he gets after Perera to get to his 50 off 36 balls. KM cross 150 in the 18th over.
Dale Steyn comes back strongly in his second spell, restricts KM to just six runs as KM are 132 for 3 after 17 overs.
Ishant Sharma finished his four-over spell with impressive figures of 2 for 20.
Sharma gets his revenge after being hit for two fours when he clean bowls Thirimanne. KM 112 for 3.
Lahiru Thirimanne b I Sharma 54 (39b, 5x4, 2x6)
Thirimanne gets to his 50 in 37 balls with four fours and two sixes.
KM going well at 115 for 2 after 15 overs. The next five overs could be crucial for both teams as KM have wickets and SH have yet to get their spinners in.
Sangakkara gets Kandurata Maroons to 100 for 2 with a four off Perera in the 14th over.
Thirimanne steps on the accelerator, hits Duminy for four as KM reach 95 for 2 in 13 overs.
Thisara Perera is welcomed with a six by his countryman Thirimanne off his very first ball. KM 854 for 2 in 12 overs.
Runs begin to flow from the bats of Sangakkara and Thirimanne as both get a boundary each from Sammy. KM 75 for 2 after 11 overs.
Thirimanne leading from the front, hits Duminy for a six through extra cover as KM reach 66 for 2 at the halfway stage.
Kandurata Maroons cross the 50-run mark with captain Lahiru Thirimanne going after Sammy. At end of nine overs KM are 57 for 2.
JP Duminy replaces Sharma, concedes five runs in his first over. KM 48 for 2 in eight overs.
Sangakkara gets into the act, hits Sammy for four. KM 43 for 2 in 7 overs.
Ishant Sharma keeps things tight as he concedes only four runs. KM 37 for 2 in 6 overs.
Darren Sammy, replacing Steyn, strikes in his first over, getting Jayasuriya to edge one to Patel behind the stumps. KM 33 for 2 in 5 overs.
Shehan Jayasuriya c Patel b Sammy 4 (7b, 1x4, 0x6)
Sharma strikes as he gets dangerman Tharanga out edging one to wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel. KM 25-1.
Upul Tharanga c Patel b Sharma 19 (18b, 4x4, 0x6)
Tharanga capitalises on Steyn’s wayward bowling, hits his first two balls for boundaries. KM 25-0 in 3 overs.
Ishant Sharma does well to restrict Kandurata to just one run in the second over. KM 16-0 in 2 overs.
Good comeback by Sunrisers.
Capitalising on his rustiness Upul Tharanga hits two consecutive boundaries of South African fast bowler. KM 15-0 in 1 over.
Dale Steyn, out of action for a couple of months, begins with a wide of the very first ball.
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Shikhar Dhawan has won the toss and opted to bowl first in Qualifier 2 of the Champions League T20 against Kandurata Maroons in a day-night clash at Mohali on Tuesday.
Both teams will be making their maiden appearance in the CLT20.
Sunrisers Hyderabad will be without Cameron White.
PLAYING XI
Kandurata Maroons: Shehan Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanne (captain), Chamara Silva, Thilina Kandamby, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lahiru Jayaratne, Ajanta Mendis
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikar Dhawan (captain), Parthiv Patel, JP Duminy, Biplab Samantray, Darren Sammy, Thisara Perera, A Ashish Reddy, Karan Sharma, Amit Mishra, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma
Sunrisers finished among the top four teams in the league phase IPL 2013, but a loss against the Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator has meant they have to compete in the Qualifiers to progress to the main draw of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Kandurata Maroons defeated the Basnahira Greens in the final of the Sri Lanka Cricket Super 4s Twenty20 tournament – the qualifying event in Sri Lanka – to seal a berth in the CLT20 2013 Qualifiers.
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