Dwayne Smith smashed an unbeaten half century to help Mumbai Indians beat Highvels Lions by seven wickets and keep their chances alive in the Champions League Twenty20 in Jaipur on Friday.
Smith steered his side's chase with a 63-run unbeaten knock that came of just 47 balls with the help of four boundaries and three sixes as Mumbai overwhelmed the 140-run target in 18.3 overs overs.
Kieron Pollard also played an unbeaten 32-run cameo towards the end which was studded with two fours and three huge sixes sixes to help Mumbai's cause.
Earlier, Mumbai produced a fine bowling display to restrict the Lions to a modest 140 for five. Opting to bowl, Mumbai pacers utilised the seaming
conditions of the Sawai Man Singh Stadium pitch before their spinners came to the party to stop Lions from posting a formidable total.
Mumbai will next play Perth Scorchers in Delhi on October 2, while the Lions will take on Otago Volts in their next game here on Sunday.
Chasing the target, Mumbai suffered a big blow early losing the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar (5) in the third over. Tendulkar was undone by a slower delivery from Sohail Tanvir as the ball went through his defence to crash onto the stumps.
Smith and Dinesh Karthik added 31 runs for the second wicket before the latter cut leg-spinner Imran Tahir straight to Petersen at backward point as Mumbai slumped to 47 for 2.
Smith, however, continued his attacking game and together with captain Rohit Sharma (20) kept Mumbai in the hunt, sharing 43 runs for the third wicket in just five overs. Smith was at his aggressive best as found boundaries with ease to notch up his fifty in just 33 balls.
Rohit provided him able support from the other end before perishing in the 13th over, caught by substitute fielder Bavuma off Dwaine Pretorious. He struck two fours during his 17-ball knock.
But Smith and Pollard ensured that there was no further hiccup for Mumbai as they stitched unbeaten 51 runs off just 35 balls to ensure a win for their side.
Earlier, Lions did not have the best of the starts losing both their openers inside the 50-runmark. Rassie van der Dussen (13) was the first to depart as he mistimed a pull straight to Rishi Dhawan at square leg off Mitchell Johnson.
Even though Johnson picked up a wicket, he was nowhere near to his lethal best as he sparayed the ball all around the wicket. Coming onto bowl in the seventh over, out-of-favour India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh tasted success with his fourth delivery, trapping Quinton de Kock (19) in front of the wicket.
Veteran Neil McKenzie looked impressive during his 16-run innings. He hit a four and a six before Dhawan went through his defence with a perfect in-swinger.
Mumbai's skipper Rohit Sharma introduced Pragyan Ojha in thhe ninth over and the left-arm spinner produced result immediately by disturbing the timbers of Jean Symes after the batsman clobbered the bowler for a six in the previous delivery.
Ojha struck again in his next over, picking up the wicket of Sohail Tanvir caught by Smith at the mid-wicket boundary. Then came in Lions skipper Alviro Petersen (35 not out) and together with Pretorious' (31 not out) company ressurected Lions' innings with a 59-run sixth wicket stand.
The duo started slowly but opened up as the innings progressed and notched up their 50-run stand in just 33 balls. The stand between Petersen and Pretorious gave momentum to Lions' innings after the early loss of wickets.
Petersen scored his runs off 27 balls during which he hit three fours and a six, while Pretorious decorated his 21-ball stay at the crease with one boundary and two huge hits over the fence.
Ojha was the most successful bowler for Mumbai picking up two wickets for 26 runs from his four overs, while Johnson (1-33), Dhawan (1-21) and Harbhajan (1-19) scalped up a wicket each.
Image: Mr Saurabh Agrwal from Channel Partner Karbonn Mobiles hands the Man of the Match Award to Dwayne Smith of Mumbai Indians.
Photo: BCCI
