Lee heaves, gets a single, Somerset win. They were jetlagged when they started the competition, now they are one of the sides to watch out for
Somerset vs KKR, Qualifying Tournament Pool A at Hyderabad, Sep 21 2011 - Ball by Ball Commentary
So just to sum up, T&T, Somerset and Kolkata Knight Riders have gone through to the main draw. How Ruhuna will have loved to have played the last match with the knowledge of what exactly to do. It's Kolkata who got that luxury, and did that. Just about. That's all we have from day three. Join us for the rest day after tomorrow. Cheers
Time for the presentations
Peter Trego is MoM He says: "Very proud. Been playing for Somerset for some time, this one of the proudest nights of my career with them. When Roelof bats the way he did, it takes the pressure. All other batsmen batted at more than run a ball. We had nothing to ose as outsiders, so we can give it our all."
Alfonso Thomas: "Nine out of ten. Those two catches that we could have taken. Certainly waiting on the likes of Jos Butler and Craig Kiewstter joining us."
Jacques Kallis: "To be honest, we are happy to qualify. It was tight in the end. To be brutally honest, it was a poor performance. We fielded poorly, didn't bat well. Ryan played an exceptional innings to get us through. When we lost a couple of wickets up front, we realised we didn't need to be heroes. It looks like Gautam Gambhir will be ready. World-class player."
Ruhuna must be feeling bad. They would have loved to have won by more runs. Meanwhile KKR, the side that lost, is celebrating more than Somerset, the side that won
full on the pads, clipped away for a single to be extra sure
RVD Merwe says, NIMBY. RTD comes down the ground, he spears in a yorker to take the middle stumps out. RTD goes back with a smile on his face. To those who used RTD so low in the order, remember class will out
Now for the win?
RTD moves around in the crease, backs away, then goes across, gets inside the line, clipps it away, runs hard, gets the couple. Brett Lee has won many World Cups, but I haven't seen him celebrate as much. The game is still on, and he goes up to hug RTD
low full toss, hit straight to extra again, Lee has to dive full length to beat Thomas's throw
van der Merwe is a canny cricketer. Immediately he aborts the celebrations to tell the umpire the batsmen didn't cross. Brett lee to face now
What has Bhatia done here? Low full toss, and he looks to chip this over extra cover. The idea is right, the execution isn't. A low catch for extra cover. The batsmen haven't crossed. new batsman on stirke
"KKR's matches are as well scripted as their owner's movies." What are you alluding to, RS Sampat? Last over to go. Three for qualification, 17 to win. I am sure Kolkata are thinking of 153 right now. RVD Merwe to bowl
yorker, digs this out, soft hands, Bhatia takes the single. RTD trusts him to take first strike next over
Four to qualify, 18 to win
Ruhuna are one shot from elimination. A length ball, Bhatia hits it down the ground, to the right of long-off, comes back for two more
with that, Somerset are through to the main draw. However, Gregory has misfielded at long-on. This was a single, Gregory took his eye off, looking up to throw, lets it slip through
slower short ball, slapped to the left of long-on, takes the second again
low full toss, drilled wide of long-on, comes back for two
Bhatia slogs, a very unBhatia-like moment of madness, the short-of-a-length ball misses the off stump
missed stumping if I were to be really harsh. He fires this in, full and fast, past the advancing RTD, on yorker length to Snell. He can't make the collection. Too dificult
Bhatia yorks himself this time, but takes the single to extra cover
comes down the track, yorks himself up, gets a single to long-on
the flat arm ball, RTD wants to pull, the ball stays low, it misses the leg stump. Snell coleects, appeals for the catch at the wicket, there is flood light between bat and ball
RTD is taking Kolkata into the Champions League main draw. What a pick-up shot. Lovely timing. All wrists. Length ball, on the pads, just flicks it down the ground, well over long-on
short, pulled away, gets the single
"How about a word for Somerset's T20 world record holder, Arul Suppiah (6 wickets for 5 runs)?" Jezzer, I'll quote Ian Chappell on the matter: "What was he bowling when they weren't looking?" Talking of not looking, here RVD Merwe
Bhatia goes in the air, but is too close to the pitch, doesn't get the elevation. The shot bounces in front of long-on
pushed to long-off for another single