Published: Oct 15, 2012, 01:47 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 15, 2012, 01:47 PM (IST)
It was a clinical performance by the Sydney Sixers in their lung-opener with the top half of their batting line-up playing its role to perfection © Getty Images
Cape Town: Oct 15, 2012
Australia’s in-form Sydney Sixers start outright favourites but will have to guard against complacency when they take on spirited English qualifiers Yorkshire in their second Group B encounter of the Champions League Twenty20 at Cape Town on Tuesday.
Big Bash champions Sydney defeated IPL runner-ups Chennai Super Kings to make a resounding start in the event on Sunday.
It was a clinical performance by Sydney in their lung-opener with the top half of their batting line-up playing its role to perfection.
The bowlers too did the job as was expected of them and given the all-round strength of the squad, it would not come as a surprise if they have it easy against Yorkshire.
Australia’s World Twenty20 Player of the Tournament — all-rounder Shane Watson — seems to be unstoppable while turning up for Sydney as well and was the second highest scorer last night with a 30-ball 46 besides taking a wicket with the ball.
Another all-rounder who made an impression against Chennai was Moises Henriques. He top-scored with a 49 and picked up three wickets with his medium pace — an impressive effort that fetched him the Man of the Match trophy.
But young pacer Pat Cummins went for over 10 runs an over in the game has been a concern for Sydney.
Yorkshire, on the other hand, don’t have any big names to flaunt on paper but as an unit, the side impressed in its qualifying campaign by winning both the matches to ease into the main draw.
Middle-order batsman Gary Ballance impressed with an unbeaten 64 in the final qualifying match against Trinidad and Tobago but the top-order’s form remains a concern for Yorkshire.
The likes of Phil Jacques and Adil Rashid would be expected to continue better in the main event after failing to impress in the qualifiers.
Veteran pacer Ryan Sidebottom would spearhead the Yorkshire attack and he was in superb form picking up three wickets against T&T in four overs that cost just 13 runs. (PTI)
Teams:
Sydney Sixers (Probable): Michael Lumb, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (c & wk), Nic Maddinson, Steven Smith, Moises Henriques, Ben Roher, Steve O’ Keefe, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood.
Yorkshire (Probable): Andrew Gale(c), Phil Jaques, Joseph Root, Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance, Adil Rashid, Dan Hodgson (wk), Azeem Rafiq, Ryan Sidebottom, Steven Patterson, Moin Ashraf.
Time: 13:30 local time (17:00 IST)
Champions League Twenty20 2012 match schedules and group details
