Duminy beats RCB single-handedly

In an exceptional display of rare batting skill, Jean-Paul Duminy took his side - Cape Cobras - to victory single-handedly against the Royal Challengers' Bangalore in the first match of the Champions League Twenty20 at the Chinnaswamy. His 99 not out off just 52 balls today will go down in the annals of T20 among the best knocks ever.

Duminy's knock aside, the chase for Cape Cobras was not that simple. Chasing a big total against the home side, for that matter is never easy. Royal Challengers' pacer Praveen Kumar only seemed to make it that much more difficult for the Cobras with an inspired spell of bowling. Kumar had Cobras' danger man, Herschelle Gibbs out in the first over, beaten outside the off stump.

In his very next over, he had the Cobras' captain, Andrew Puttick caught at point. These early dismissals put the Cobras on the back foot till Henry Davids and Jean Paul Duminy hit a six each off the fourth over of the innings, bowled by Jacques Kallis. Kumar was brilliant in his first spell. Davids and Duminy looked just as solid.

With unhindered aggression, Duminy and Davids kept the Cobras' hopes alive for sometime. But the fall of Davids at the end of the eight over, impeded the Cobras' progress. Davids was out caught by Kohli at point when he tried to smack the ball on the off side. Duminy, on the other hand, kept the fight alive, at times moving across the crease to improvise his strokes. He even greeted left arm spinner, Roelof van der Merwe, with a massive six off his first over.

Kumble's decision to have part time bowler Kohli bowl at a crucial stage is bound to come under scrutiny. The RCB fielders, too were found wanting, dropping two crucial catches. Just when the Cobras seemed to be getting into a strong position, Merve had Justin Ontong bowled out, trying to hit him away. Duminy though, continued his aggression, undeterred by the instability at the other end and completed his half century off just 29 balls. Kumble today looked a tad off colour both in his bowling and captaincy.

The 23 runs that Virat Kohli gave away off his two overs at a crucial stage of the match, proved costly for the RCB. Duminy, along with Ryan Canning hammered Kohli away to every part of the field. The gargantuan six that Duminy struck off the 17th over bowled by Re van der Merwe only depleted the RCB morale further. When Kumble came in to bowl his last over, the 18th of the innings, he had his last chance to set things right. But he was in for failure yet again.

Duminy clobbered him for a six. That over cost the RCB 11 runs and by the end of it, the Cobras seemed clearly on top. Praveen Kumar was brought back into the attack at that stage. In the penultimate over of the match, Kumar had the well settled Canning, out with a mistimed pull caught by his skipper. But Duminy's assault continued unabated as he took his side to victory single-handedly.