Matches (15)
IPL (2)
Pakistan vs New Zealand (1)
WT20 Qualifier (4)
County DIV1 (4)
County DIV2 (3)
PAK v WI [W] (1)

MI vs NSW, Group A at Chennai, , Oct 02 2011 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
Group A (D/N), Chennai, October 02, 2011, Nokia Champions League T20
(17/20 ov, T:101) 101/5

NSW won by 5 wickets (with 18 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
45* (47)
steven-smith
New
NSW
Full commentary
end of over 1710 runs
NSW: 101/5CRR: 5.94 
Steven Smith45 (47b 5x4 1x6)
Ben Rohrer26 (28b 1x4)
Abu Nechim 4-0-23-3
Kieron Pollard 2-0-14-0

That's all from us on this game, but we have another match coming us soon. So do join us for that. Cheers

Steven Smith is MoM. He says: "We just thought about playing straight. The ball stayed low, holding quite a bit, so it was important to play straight. Try to hit down the ground, not across the line. The conditions didn't change, it stayed low and slow throughout the game."

Harbhajan Singh: "The wicket was low, but I think we had put our minds to the job, we could have got around 130. We haven't been able to rotate the strike well, but hopefully we will get another game. We will have to wait and watch, but if we do get another job, we will try to improve."

Simon Katich: "The wicket was quite low. Our quicker bowlers did a great job to restrict them. Rohrer and Smith batted well, that partnership was good, but would have been nice to do that earlier in the innings. Our guys tried to attack the stumps as much as possible. We left a few holes on the off side to encourage shots against that sort of line."

Mature innings from Rohrer and Smith. It all started going back in NSW's favour when Rohrer came down at 5 down for not much and kept coming down the track to nudge the ball for singles. Mumbai attacked, but unlike T&T when they defended 98, Mumbai's attacking men sacrificed the single-savers, not the boundary-savers. Rohrer and Smith played smartly. Smith took full control once he saw the stability from Rohrer at the other end. Unlike bars and pubs in India on Gandhi's birthday today, the group is now wide open. Mumbai can still be knocked out. Any team can go through, perhaps even T&T, but that might be a stretch

16.6
4
Ahmed to Smith, FOUR runs

Smith finishes it off in style. Makes room and chips a length ball over extra cover. They win with three overs to go, that should their net run-rate some good too

"@Ninad - I agree. What about Akhtar? Whatever he speaks and writes is our problem, right?" SudhaSwings has a strong point too

16.5
Ahmed to Smith, no run

yorker on off, digs it out

16.4
Ahmed to Smith, no run

slower ball, just short of a length, defended to point

16.3
1
Ahmed to Rohrer, 1 run

short, into the ribs, pulled fine for one

16.2
1
Ahmed to Smith, 1 run

pulled to deep square for one

16.1
4
Ahmed to Smith, FOUR runs

length ball outside off, driven superbly past cover, Smith is on the home stretch. This is his best T20 score

Nechim comes back

end of over 167 runs
NSW: 91/5CRR: 5.68 RRR: 2.50
Ben Rohrer25 (27b 1x4)
Steven Smith36 (42b 3x4 1x6)
Kieron Pollard 2-0-14-0
Lasith Malinga 4-0-23-1
15.6
Pollard to Rohrer, no run

the rare slow from Rohrer, beaten by the slower one outside off

15.5
1
Pollard to Smith, 1 run

dropped, hit back to Pollard, within his reach - and only his reach, not any other fielder, he gets a hand to it, but can't hold onto it

15.4
4
Pollard to Smith, FOUR runs

pushed for four... Nicely timed. This is a length ball outside off, opens the face on this, places it between point and cover-point

"Too much micro analysis on Sachin. It's his life, what he does and doesn't do is not your problem." Fair point too, Ninad

15.3
1
Pollard to Rohrer, 1 run

hit straight to Symonds at short midwicket, but he misses the stumps

Seven men inside the circle

15.2
Pollard to Rohrer, no run

goes wide of the crease, bowls the slower one, beats the drive

15.1
1
Pollard to Smith, 1 run

short of a length, dabbed to short third for one

Pollard to bowl now

end of over 1510 runs
NSW: 84/5CRR: 5.60 RRR: 3.40
Ben Rohrer24 (24b 1x4)
Steven Smith30 (39b 2x4 1x6)
Lasith Malinga 4-0-23-1
James Franklin 1-0-8-0
14.6
2
Malinga to Rohrer, 2 runs

full toss on the pads, flicked away for a single - Malinga never got his radar back in his last over

14.5
1
Malinga to Smith, 1 run

slower ball, gets the inside edge on it, takes the single to square leg

"It'll be interesting to see if Sachin sits in the indian dressing room as well and cheers team india when they face england... oh wait, i may be expecting too much..." Varun, you have answered your own question

14.4
1
Malinga to Rohrer, 1 run

full outside leg, clipped away for a single

14.3
4
Malinga to Rohrer, FOUR runs

superb shot, this is just short of a yorker, wide of off, and he steers this wide of point. Beats point to his right and third man to his left. Fifty-run partnership now

14.2
2
Malinga to Rohrer, 2 runs

too straight, whipped away fine, gets a couple, fine of fine leg

More men saving singles here

14.1
Malinga to Rohrer, no run

length ball on the pads, can't get it past square leg

Malinga comes back now. Can he bring Mumbai back into this one?

end of over 148 runs
NSW: 74/5CRR: 5.28 RRR: 4.50
Steven Smith29 (38b 2x4 1x6)
Ben Rohrer15 (19b)
James Franklin 1-0-8-0
Yuzvendra Chahal 3-0-17-1
13.6
Franklin to Smith, no run

short again, pushed wide of midwicket for a single

13.5
1
Franklin to Rohrer, 1 run

short of a length, steered away, gets a single

AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
NSW Innings
<1 / 3>

Nokia Champions League T20

Group A
TEAMMWLPTNRR
NSW43160.627
MI4215-0.280
T&T42240.176
COBRA41230.229
CSK4132-0.712
Group B
TEAMMWLPTNRR
SOM4215-0.557
RCB42240.325
KKR42240.306
WAR42240.246
SOA4123-0.533
Qualifying Tournament Pool A
TEAMMWLPTNRR
SOM22040.300
KKR2112-0.225
AUCK2020-0.075
Qualifying Tournament Pool B
TEAMMWLPTNRR
T&T22041.659
RU2112-0.275
LEICS2020-1.375