Match 11: Redbacks' Klinger, Christian and Harris Tame RCB; Enter CL T20 Semi final

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Sreelata YellamrazuSep 17 2010

This was supposed to be a humdinger of a match. The battle between the South Australian Redbacks and the Royal Challengers Bangalore was expected to receive top billing. However, only the Redbacks managed to justify the tag, putting up a commanding all round effort to win the match comprehensively to become the first team to enter the Champions League Twenty20 2010 semi final in South Africa.

daniel christian

The Redbacks captain, Michael Klinger and batsman in form, Daniel Harris put up an astounding chase that did not leave the result in doubt. But before that it was Daniel Christian's bowling efforts that had the RCB team fighting to survive.

The RCB team received a jolt earlier when Jacques Kallis was sidelined by injury, forcing the inclusion of Manish Pandey for the crucial match. Shaun Tait though ensured that the youngster would not last long at the crease.

The initial Redback bowling efforts kept a tight leash on the RCB team who found themselves at three down for fifty-three by the sixth over. Ross Taylor's resilence seemed to stem the rot, as his forty-six runs came at a fair clip. However, it was not long before Tait made his presence felt once more.

The RCB team found an unlikely suspect in Dillon du Preez who held on for forty-six runs even as Daniel Christian made good use of the conditions at Kingsmead, Durban to fool the batsmen with well timed slower deliveries and using the breeze to his advantage. The batsman's struggle to break the shackles resulted in Christian bagging four wickets for just twenty-three runs in 3.5 overs as RCB underscored at 154 all out with a ball to spare.

The Redbacks have backed themselves to chase down totals and it has become apparent why. The Redbacks captain, Michael Klinger, has been the man of the tournament thus far, shining through the matches that the Redbacks have played and contributing heavily to negative the bowling efforts of the opposition.

Neither Dale Steyn nor Praveen Kumar could halt the assault as Klinger and Daniel Harris set about the run chase as if there was nothing to it. Eighty-two runs came in breezy fashion off the first ten overs and the RCB team seemed deflated, slopping fielding and catching adding to their woes as well. Harris' thirty-eight ball fifty-seven run innings was curtailed by a run out but Klinger continued on an unbeaten sixty-nine from fifty-seven balls as South Australian Redbacks sealed the match by eight wickets to enter the semi finals.

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