Heroes hold nerve to knock out Superstars

Hyderabad Heroes 147 for 6 (Boje 47) beat Chennai Superstars 143 (Badani 50, Harris 2-19, Kemp 2-21) by four runs
Scorecard

Chennai Superstars, the winners of the first two ICL tournaments, were knocked by the Hyderabad Heroes in a thrilling contest at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad.

Chasing 148, the Superstars were tottering at 58 for 5, but a rearguard action led by Hemang Badani brought them on the verge of victory; the Heroes, however, held their nerve to reach the final with a four-run win.

The Heroes, playing in front of a home crowd, had decided to bat, but both their openers - Jimmy Maher and Abdul Razzaq - fell cheaply. Ambati Rayudu and Nicky Boje then steadied the innings with a 55-run stand. Rayudu hit two sixes off Russel Arnold before he fell for 25.

Boje anchored the innings for the most part with his 47, and Stuart Binny chipped in 24. Anirudh Singh hit a six and a four off the final two deliveries, but the Heroes only got to 147.

That total soon looked formidable when the Superstars openers fell in the first two overs, and almost out of reach when they were reduced to 34 for 4 in 6.3. Badani and SV Saravanan kept the bowlers at bay for a while; Saravanan hung around for 15 balls during his 6.

R Sathish scored 25 off 17 to boost the run-rate, and when Inder Shekar Reddy was carted for 16 runs in the 14th over, the Superstars were in with a chance needing 57 off 36. However, both Badani and Sathish failed to stay till the end to see their side home, with Chris Harris, the Heroes captain, picking up two vital wickets.

With 11 coming off the 19th over, 12 were required off the final one, but two wickets fell off the first two balls bowled by Justin Kemp - T Kumaran was run out attempting a single and Adam Parore was cleaned up as he attempted to whip one away. Shabbir Ahmed kept the Superstars' hopes alive with a six over long-on, but another run-out sealed the fate of the Superstars and ensured the Heroes a spot in the final.