Moises Henriques produced a remarkable all-round performance to carry the Sydney Sixers to a 14-run win over Chennai Super Kings in their Champions League T20 tournament opener in Johannesburg.
Henriques (49 not out off 23) produced a breathtaking batting cameo as the Sixers scored 5 for 185 after being sent in.
Henriques, who has started the Australian domestic season in scintillating fashion, smashed five fours and three sixes in an exhilarating exhibition of uninhibited hitting.
With the Super Kings threatening at 4 for 141 in the 17th over, Henriques (3 for 23) removed danger men Suresh Raina (57 off 33) and MS Dhoni (8) in the space of three balls.
He got help from Steve Smith taking a great overhead catch at long-on just inside the boundary to dismiss Raina and Josh Hazlewood snaffling a grass cutter at deep mid-wicket to remove Dhoni.
Henriques had previously ended a 55-run partnership between Raina and Subramaniam Badrinath (6)
Blistering innings from Henriques and Shane Watson (46) set up the testing target.
Watson, the player of the recently concluded World Twenty20 tournament, carried his hot batting form over to South Africa.
The big-hitting right-hander was murderous on anything short, thrashing five fours and two sixes in an opening stand of 50 with Englishman Michael Lumb (18).
Watson's innings ended in unexpected fashion when he was run out by a long-distance direct hit from deep extra cover from compatriot Ben Hilfenhaus (1 for 26).
The big Tasmanian quick also pouched a superb catch to dismiss Sixers' captain Brad Haddin (20) off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2 for 32).
When Nic Maddinson (12) was bowled by Ashwin, the Sixers were 4 for 110 in the 14th over.
Enter Henriques, who added 75 in six-and-a-half overs with Smith (26 off 17).
When Chennai batted, Starc (3 for 31) struck an early blow, firing a ball through the defence of Murali Vijay (1) in the second over.
Faf Du Plessis (43) plundered the bowling of the young Sixers pacemen before lofting a catch to Starc off Pat Cummins (1 for 42).
Michael Hussey (16) slogged a catch to Lumb at deep mid-wicket off spinner Stephen O'Keefe (1 for 16) in the very next over.
Raina lashed some exceptional boundaries through the covers and muscular shots to the legside, but Chennai lost 5 for 30 starting with his dismissal.
In the morning's other match, South Africa's Lions beat the Mumbai Indians by eight wickets thanks to a sterling century partnership between Neil McKenzie (68 not out) and Quinton de Kock (51 not out).
Mumbai had set the Lions a total of 6 for 157 to chase after Australia's Mitchell Johnson top-scored with 30 off 29 balls, and looked to have the home side in trouble at the Wanderers.
Gulam Bodi (19) and Alviro Peterson (14) were dismissed cheaply, but with the Lions stuttering at 2 for 37, de Kock and McKenzie combined with a 121-run partnership to expertly steer their side home.
ABC/AAP
Tags: twenty20, cricket, sport, south-africa, india, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted October 15, 2012 07:03:16
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