Confident Bengal hunt for third straight win

Match facts

Oct 19, 2008
Start time 2pm (0830 GMT)

Big Picture

It's a clash between teams with contrasting starts to the ICL season. After back-to-back wins in Hyderabad, Royal Bengal Tigers will look to make it three in a row by starting on a winning note in Ahmedabad. Facing them are Mumbai Champs, perhaps the weakest team in the league.

Mumbai couldn't have had a worse start to the Ahmebadad leg of the tournament: they lost by nine wickets to the home side on Friday. Another loss could send their campaign into a downward spiral and they would desperately want to avert a repeat of their lacklustre showing in the first season.

Bengal's overseas players have been their key performers this season. Sri Lankan legspinner Upul Chandana's 4 for 21 kept the much-fancied Lahore Badshahs to a low score, and Hamish Marshall, a new recruit, scored 76 to seal a winning start. Against Delhi Giants, captain Craig McMillan's 40-ball 69 boosted his team to a joint season-best total of 171 for 7, which the opposition never threatened to overhaul.

Mumbai began the season welcoming two batsmen, Taufeeq Umar and Hasan Raza, from Lahore; a move made to beef up a line-up struggling to give the opposition serious competition in the first season. However, the switch is yet to pay off; Mumbai have managed scores of 135 and 130. Captain Nathan Astle's four-wicket haul nearly ensured a winning start to the tournament, but a match-winning innings from Sarabjit Singh helped Chandigarh Lions win in a close finish. Mumbai would look to that defeat, and not their last game, for any positives. Their batsmen struggled on a bouncy pitch against Ahmedabad Rockets, and the bowlers were carted all over the Sardar Patel Stadium as Ryan Campbell blitzed an unbeaten 92 in a nine-wicket mauling.

Players to watch

Abhishek Jhunjhunwala: When the ICL announced its signings last year, his name caused a shock since his domestic performances had singled him out as a potential India prospect. However, Jhunjhunwala's ICL stint has been far from outstanding; although his average of 22.62 indicates consistency, his strike-rate of 107.73 is far from the Twenty20 standard. With scores of 3 and 0, his second season isn't off to the greatest of starts.

Kiran Powar: Brother of India international Ramesh Powar, he's one of the local boys in the Mumbai team. He scored an unbeaten 45 to push his side to a fighting total against Chandigarh. With the top order failing to make an impression, Powar could be pushed up the order.

Craig McMillan" An aggressive batsman, McMillan has excelled in his role as Bengal captain. He was Man of the Match in their previous game, and would aim to consolidate a good start into a tournament win for his team.

Johan van der Wath: He's been expensive with the ball, but Johan van der Wath's big hitting came to the fore in Mumbai's game against Ahmedabad. He hit three fours and four sixes in a 15-ball 41, including 25 off the final over against Heath Streak.

Quotes

"We will just have to bowl, bat and field the way we have done against the Lahore Badshahs and Delhi Giants."
It's all about consistency, Bengal's Hamish Marshall reveals

"It has been failing quite often. It is high time now. The players will have to stand up and contribute."
Nathan Astle, the Mumbai captain, wants more from the top order