LIONS vs Daredevils, 1st Semi-Final at Durban, , Oct 25 2012 - Match Result

"Did anyone else feel a bit sick and depressed when Taylor mentioned IPL only in a few months? Honestly getting sick of all these drawn out T20 leagues." I hear you, Shih-Lon, but that's the future, I am being told. On that depressing note, it's goodbye for now. I'll see you guys tomorrow for the second semi-final. Cheers

Quotes from presentation

"The guys did really well up front," says MoM Neil McKenzie. "Bodi and Alviro set up a good platform. I just came out and pushed around. We were about 10 short, but the bowlers fired on all cylinders tonight. We needed to hit our four-day lengths on this wicket, and that's what we did. All the bowlers deserve the Man of the Match as a unit. No preference who plays us in the final, best of the luck to the Titans and the Sixers."

"The bowling was spot on today," says Alviro Petersen. "We needed our guys to go up that 10% extra, and they did. Chris Morris was special. We needed one of our three fast bowlers to come to the party in the Powerplay, and he did. Neil's experience was vital, Gulam played a nice innings too. Batting wise, we can improve, but we did well today. We love to play at Wanderers. We will celebrate tonight, and tomorrow, but we will be on the button come Sunday."

"We let ourselves down in the field," says Ross Taylor. "We gave 20-25 extra in the field. It was definitely gettable, but they bowled really well. Credit to them. We should have got the 140. We gave it all, but we were not good enough. We have IPL coming up in a few months, hopefully we can learn from these mistakes."

Bizarre bizarre game. Lions were superb in the field, but Delhi had a collective brain fade. This is not the time to analyse, though. Watch the red thunder celebrate. Phangiso has got a stump. They are all nodding to McKenzie too. Fireworks all around. And hugs among the men in red too

Back to the bizarre events now. Forget the selection, with captain sitting out for somebody who hadn't played a single delivery in this tournament. Chasing 138, look at Daredevils' order. Chand and Pathan ahead of the reluctant Taylor, who eventually batted at No. 6. And then even Pawan Negi ahead of Ajit Agarkar. As you have already pointed out many times, this is keeping in with the Daredevils' trend. They made some bizarre moves even in the IPL semi-final. With Mahela part of this think-tank, it is not quite unrelated how Sri Lanka are known for similar bizarre selections. I remember they played in last year's World Cup final a man who had not been part of the original squad and hadn't played a single match until then. Suraj Randiv it was, I recall. Oh well, also Chamara Kapugedera played only his second match. And Chaminda Vaas came out of cold storage and nearly played the final

"No IPL Pun's yet? or are the censor's working overtime so as not to offend the BCCI/IPL Honchos?" Rakesh, we don't kick those who are down already

More than six per ball now

"I just cant understand whats wrong with DD captains, SEHWAG : Hands Over The Captaincy To JAYA, Who Does not Want To play And Hands over The captaincy to TAYLOR, who does not want to come to bat and sends in Irfan first! Just bizarre!" Aryan sums it up

"DD's tombstone will feature Chand at 4 and pathan at 5" And Sekhon, Mahela in invisible ink

Umesh Yadav comes in. Lions one wicket from the final. Nannes will want to do it with a hat-trick

Red Thunder are all but there. They can sense it. They need to make sure they don't concede three a ball now. Not bowling extras should do it for them. Nannes comes back

Round the wicket

Sohail Tanvir is back now. Has two overs to go

End of a match-winning spell surely? 4-0-7-2. And two wickets of Pietersen and Warner