The Prince and Botha show
ESPNcricinfo presents plays of the day for the Royal Challengers Bangalore v Warriors CLT20 game
Acrobatics in the field and giving it back to Chris Gayle with bat in hand - it was quite a night for Johan Botha • Associated Press
The attentive sidestep
A quick straw poll of people lining up to enter the Chinnaswamy Stadium confirmed Chris Gayle was the man people were turning up to see. "Gayle show mercy on the ball and on the opponents," said a poster. It didn't take long for Gayle to give the Royal Challengers faithful what they wanted: in the second over of the match, a brutal hit off Rusty Theron sent the ball flat over cover and all the way to the boundary. An attentive ball-boy proved all eyes were on Gayle, nimbly stepping out of the way as the ball bounced next to his feet and thudded into the advertising hoarding.
A quick straw poll of people lining up to enter the Chinnaswamy Stadium confirmed Chris Gayle was the man people were turning up to see. "Gayle show mercy on the ball and on the opponents," said a poster. It didn't take long for Gayle to give the Royal Challengers faithful what they wanted: in the second over of the match, a brutal hit off Rusty Theron sent the ball flat over cover and all the way to the boundary. An attentive ball-boy proved all eyes were on Gayle, nimbly stepping out of the way as the ball bounced next to his feet and thudded into the advertising hoarding.
The tumbling take
It took less than 15 minutes for Gayle to have the opposition in despair. A monstrous hit over long-on off Lonwabo Tsotsobe followed by a boundary to midwicket powered Royal Challengers to 34 in three overs. Rusty Theron had already been whacked for 14 in his first over, and taken out of the attack. The new bowler, Wayne Parnell, managed to keep Gayle quiet for three deliveries, prompting a mow over mid-on off the next. Gayle didn't middle it, but the top edge looked likely to beat Johan Botha at mid-on. The fielder, though, quickly back-pedalled and plucked a left-handed overhead catch before tumbling over. "It was a little bit of a fluke in the end," Botha said, adding that he recalled Ian Chappell's advice about always turning round and chasing the ball instead of back-pedalling. "I thought, 'Oh, you've made the same mistake here.' I just stuck my hand out and it stuck in there."
It took less than 15 minutes for Gayle to have the opposition in despair. A monstrous hit over long-on off Lonwabo Tsotsobe followed by a boundary to midwicket powered Royal Challengers to 34 in three overs. Rusty Theron had already been whacked for 14 in his first over, and taken out of the attack. The new bowler, Wayne Parnell, managed to keep Gayle quiet for three deliveries, prompting a mow over mid-on off the next. Gayle didn't middle it, but the top edge looked likely to beat Johan Botha at mid-on. The fielder, though, quickly back-pedalled and plucked a left-handed overhead catch before tumbling over. "It was a little bit of a fluke in the end," Botha said, adding that he recalled Ian Chappell's advice about always turning round and chasing the ball instead of back-pedalling. "I thought, 'Oh, you've made the same mistake here.' I just stuck my hand out and it stuck in there."
The ironic cheers
As Ross Taylor and Gayle have found out, an ability to belt sixes is sure to make you the Bangalore crowd's favourite. Those with a more sedate batting style don't get quite the same warmth from the fans. When Mohammad Kaif, not a renowned hitter, walked in at No. 6 and played out four dot balls, the crowd let him know how they felt by mockingly cheering every run-less delivery. There was no derision from the crowd, though, when Kaif lashed a couple of leg-side sixes soon after.
As Ross Taylor and Gayle have found out, an ability to belt sixes is sure to make you the Bangalore crowd's favourite. Those with a more sedate batting style don't get quite the same warmth from the fans. When Mohammad Kaif, not a renowned hitter, walked in at No. 6 and played out four dot balls, the crowd let him know how they felt by mockingly cheering every run-less delivery. There was no derision from the crowd, though, when Kaif lashed a couple of leg-side sixes soon after.
Guess who hit the biggest six?
During a media interaction earlier this week, Ashwell Prince had bristled at suggestions that his game was more suited to Test cricket than the slam-bang versions. "Those are just others' perceptions, I know what I'm capable of," he insisted when asked whether he could provide the firepower at the top in the absence of Davy Jacobs. A career Twenty20 strike-rate a little above 100 is hardly something to set the fans' pulse racing. He backed up his talk, though, with a 55-ball 74, the highlight of which was a superbly timed 82-metre hit over long-off that nearly went into the second tier.
During a media interaction earlier this week, Ashwell Prince had bristled at suggestions that his game was more suited to Test cricket than the slam-bang versions. "Those are just others' perceptions, I know what I'm capable of," he insisted when asked whether he could provide the firepower at the top in the absence of Davy Jacobs. A career Twenty20 strike-rate a little above 100 is hardly something to set the fans' pulse racing. He backed up his talk, though, with a 55-ball 74, the highlight of which was a superbly timed 82-metre hit over long-off that nearly went into the second tier.
The redemption
In the space of seven deliveries, Abhimanyu Mithun goofed up in the field twice. When Virat Kolhi rifled in a throw from point, attempting to run-out Ashwell Prince, Mithun couldn't back-up properly, letting the ball through his legs for four. Soon after, he shelled what should have been a simple catch at third man, stopping short after misjudging where the ball was landing. Four balls later, the ball soared towards Mithun again, this time at deep square leg as Colin Ingram swiped at the ball. This time Mithun clasped the ball safely, and flung it up in relief.
In the space of seven deliveries, Abhimanyu Mithun goofed up in the field twice. When Virat Kolhi rifled in a throw from point, attempting to run-out Ashwell Prince, Mithun couldn't back-up properly, letting the ball through his legs for four. Soon after, he shelled what should have been a simple catch at third man, stopping short after misjudging where the ball was landing. Four balls later, the ball soared towards Mithun again, this time at deep square leg as Colin Ingram swiped at the ball. This time Mithun clasped the ball safely, and flung it up in relief.
The crowd-silencer
After 12 overs of the chase, it looked like game, set and match to Royal Challengers as the asking-rate was over 11 with four Warriors' batsmen dismissed. Prince and Johan Botha kept Warriors in it with a brisk stand, but with 36 needed off the final three, the crowd sensed the home side still had the edge. Botha swung the game, though, and left the home fans nervy and rather quiet with consecutive ferociously hit sixes off Gayle, to bring the equation down to a gettable 20 off 13 balls.
After 12 overs of the chase, it looked like game, set and match to Royal Challengers as the asking-rate was over 11 with four Warriors' batsmen dismissed. Prince and Johan Botha kept Warriors in it with a brisk stand, but with 36 needed off the final three, the crowd sensed the home side still had the edge. Botha swung the game, though, and left the home fans nervy and rather quiet with consecutive ferociously hit sixes off Gayle, to bring the equation down to a gettable 20 off 13 balls.
Siddarth Ravindran is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo