RESULT
Semi-Final - 1st Leg (N), Bloemfontein, February 11, 2009, Standard Bank Pro20 Series
(14/14 ov) 100/6
(12.1/14 ov, T:105) 105/1

Eagles won by 9 wickets (with 11 balls remaining) (D/L method)

Report

Abdulla gives Dolphins semi-final lead

A round-up of the first leg of Pro20 semi-final matches for the 2008-09 season

Cricinfo staff
14-Feb-2009

Boeta Dippenaar's unbeaten 53 gave the Eagles a nine-wicket win over the Warriors in the first leg of their semi-final © Getty Images
 
Yusuf Abdulla's three top-order wickets, including two in an over, handed the Dolphins the first of the best of three semi-final against Cape Cobras at Newlands. Abdulla got in to the act after HD Ackerman's 53-ball 62, along with Sanath Jayasuriya's quickfire 41, took the Dolphins to 162. He bowled Henry Davids off the second ball of the innings and followed it by trapping Herschelle Gibbs lbw off the fifth. When Abdulla had JP Duminy caught behind for 17, the Cobras had been reduced to 35 for 3. He then ran out Andrew Puttick to make it 46 for 4. Graeme Smith, who was making his return to competitive cricket, batted for 32 runs before an attempted slog-sweep off Daryn Smit was caught by Alfonso Thomas at midwicket in the 10th over. His departure triggered a collapse, with Sanath Jayasuriya picking up two wickets in two balls. Richard Levi remained unbeaten on 48 off 28 balls, but the Cobras finished their 20 overs 15 runs short of their target. The two teams will now meet in Durban for the second leg on Sunday.
The Eagles chased down 105 in 12.1 overs to go one-up over Warriors in their rain-shortened first semi-final in Bloemfontein. Rain interrupted the match halfway through the tenth over of the Warriors' innings - they had reached 59 for 2. On resumption, the match was reduced to 14 overs each and Warriors, helped by two fours and a six from Arno Jacobs, reached 100. The Eagles stayed ahead of the required run-rate right from the start, with Adrian McLaren scoring a run-a-ball 18 and adding 45 with Boeta Dippenaar. After McLaren's dismissal in the sixth over, Dippenaar was joined by Morne van Wyk and the two proceeded to score at more than nine an over. They took Wayne Parnell for 19 runs in his second over - the 12th of the innings - with van Wyk hitting three consecutive fours before Dippenaar wrapped it up with a four off Robin Peterson. The two teams will face off in Port Elizabeth for the second and third legs.

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Standard Bank Pro20 Series

TEAMMWLPTNRR
WAR541171.175
DOLPH531150.860
COBRA52210-0.690
Eagls52380.005
TITNS5128-1.473
LIONS5034-0.345