Drama as Sixers reach Champions League final

Updated October 27, 2012 16:00:03

The Sydney Sixers snatched a dramatic two-wicket victory over Titans on Saturday (AEDT) to set up a Champions League Twenty20 final against another South African side, Highveld Lions.

Titans made 5 for 163 at their Centurion home ground in Pretoria thanks to an unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership between middle-order David Wiese (61 not out) and opener Henry Davids (59 not out).

Sixers reached 8 for 164 in reply with the winning run coming off the last ball and they face Lions at the Wanderers on Monday (AEDT) to see who succeeds Mumbai Indians as winners of the annual competition.

While Sixers kept in touch with the required run rate, they started to lose wickets with worrying frequency and needed 19 off the last two overs with three wickets standing.

Sydney had a lucky escape off the final ball of the penultimate over as Farhaan Behardien spilled an attempt to catch Pat Cummins, who had skied a stroke intended to clear long-off.

The Australian outfit needed eight runs from the last over, but after a cheeky Ben Rohrer scoop earned two, he was out next ball, sending a mistimed shot straight to Roelef van der Merwe at mid-off.

Tight bowling by CJ de Villiers kept Titans in a match that grew more tense with every ball and it came down to the final delivery with the visitors needing a run to win.

And that is what the Sixers got as they scrambled a bye in a match that atoned for a far less dramatic first semi-final on Friday when the Lions defeated the Delhi Daredevils by 22 runs at Kingsmead in Durban.

AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, twenty20, australia, south-africa

First posted October 27, 2012 09:01:46

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Lyon overcomes eye drama in Test path

Updated December 16, 2011 19:47:31

Nathan Lyon's incredible journey from Canberra curator to Test cricketer sounds like a fairytale, but the Australia spinner had to overcome the trauma of nearly losing sight in one eye.

Lyon was bowling for the ACT in an under 19 match against Tasmania in Adelaide, when opposing batsman Jonathan Wells drilled a ball right back into his face.

The off spinner could not get his hands up in time and suffered a broken cheekbone.

There was panic around the ACT camp and there was the very real possibility he could have lost sight in the damaged eye.

"It was a nasty injury, it looked as though he'd been king hit," said ACT under 19 coach Andrew Dawson, the man responsible for plucking Lyon from the bush.

"Fortunately we had good people around ... we rang the ambulance straight away and we just had to make sure he was as calm as possible."

Lyon's meteoric rise from country cricket in Young to apprentice curator in Canberra and then Adelaide, to his Test debut against Sri Lanka in August, is testament to the 24-year-old's resilience and determination.

These characteristics, which have him touted as Australia's most promising spin prospect since Shane Warne, were put to the greatest test in his recovery from the devastating eye injury.

"It took Nath a bit to come back from. His confidence in fielding high balls or caught and bowleds, those type of things did take a while," Dawson said.

"His strength is having that type of mentality. Fall off the horse and get back on. He's a really good young man who keeps everything in perspective.

"Without being too rose-tinted about it, you could see him going to help with the covers during a Test, and then realising, 'oh no I'm not supposed to do that anymore.'"

As down to earth as they come, Lyon's immediate family were completely oblivious to his taking a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket.

His brother Brendon was driving, his mother working as a nurse and his father on the farm.

According to ACT cricket chief executive Mark Vergano, Lyon has become an inspiration to country kids in the area and, while in Hobart, he took it upon himself to drop in on the territory's under 17s team to offer some advice.

AAP

Tags: cricket, sport, act

First posted December 16, 2011 19:44:48

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