Published: Sep 25, 2013, 03:33 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 25, 2013, 03:33 PM (IST)
Otago Volts will look to continue their good run of form against the Perth Scorchers © Getty Images
Sep 25, 2013
Otago Volts are set to take on the Perth Scorchers at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday for their Champions League T20 2013 clash.
After the deluge in Ahmedabad resulted in two washed out games, forcing Perth and Otago to settle with only two points, the two Trans-Tasmanian rivals will move to Jaipur, a city which is baking under the hot September sun. Conditions in the bastion of the Rajasthan team are perfect for cricket and both sides would be eager to get the full four points.
In a short tournament like the World T20 League, every game is crucial and when you end up having to share points, the task becomes all the more complicated for obvious reasons. However, the heavy showers in Gujarat on Monday evening at least put four out of five sides on an even keel and that would be extra incentive for Perth and Otago to put behind them their disappointment of the washouts.
Otago skipper Brendon McCullum had conceded before the tournament that his side were the underdogs but they stunned everyone, possibly including themselves, as they stormed through the qualifiers winning all three games. Otago have truly asserted themselves — they have some heavy big names in the likes of McCullum, Hamish Rutherford and Ryan ten Doeschate — players who can turn the games at critical junctures all on their own.
McCullum was in devastating form in the qualifiers as was Dutchman ten Doeschate, and it is these two men, the Kiwi team would be looking at for some sterling performances. Besides the stars, Otago also rely on Neil Broom, the right-handed batsman who last played for New Zealand back in 2010. The World T20 League could be the perfect platform for the 29-year-old to launch his comeback into the national squad.
Teams:
Perth Scorchers (Probable): Liam Davis, Ashton Agar, Simon Katich (c), Adam Voges, Ashton Turner, Tom Triffitt (wk), Hilton Cartwright, Joel Paris, Jason Behrendorff, Brad Hogg, Michael Beer.
Otago Volts (Probable): Hamish Rutherford, Neil Broom, Brendon McCullum (c), Ryan ten Doeschate, Jimmy Neesham, Nathan McCullum, Derek de Boorder (wk), Michael Bracewell, Neil Wagner, Nick Beard, Sam Wells.
Catch live scores and ball-by-ball commentary of the Otago Volts vs Perth Scorchers clash in CLT20 2013 here
Champions League (CLT20) 2013 Match Schedule
Champions League (CLT20) 2013 Points Table
