CLT20 as it happened: Smith carries MI to first win over Lions

2310 IST

Pollard does what Pollard does – dispatches a low full toss from Viljoen out of the ground and then somehow manages to time a yorker so well that it beats all the fielders and runs away to the mid-off boundary. That significantly eased the pressure.

Pretorius gets the same treatment from Pollard and Smith. A couple of sixes effectively ends the contest.

A wide from Tanvir ends the contest, though replays show the ball struck the batsman’s pad. Imran Tahir taps Pollard on the helmet in congratulation.

Mumbai Indians have beaten Highveld Lions by 7 wickets

2310 IST

Just when MI had seized the upper hand, Rohit pulled a short ball from Pretorius straight to the man at deep square leg. He did not have to move.

Rohit Sharma c sub (T Bavuma) b Pretorius 20 (17b 2x4 0x6)

Smith got to his 50 with a single off Tahir, taking just 33 balls to get there. It is the rest of the Mumbai batsmen that have laboured in comparison.

Tahir gives away three runs in his final over – finishing with 1 for 23, while Tanvir concedes just four and so does Pretorius, adding just a little bit of pressure to the chase. MI need 36 from the last 4 overs

2252 IST

After 12 overs, Mumbai Indians are 87 for 2, with Smith on 48 and Rohit on 18.

The introduction of left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso eases the pressure, as 10 runs come off his over as he struggles with his line. A couple of boundaries of Viljoen – one thanks to a misfield and the other thanks an edge – keeps the momentum.

There is a bit of argy-bargy between Rohit and Viljoen after the second boundary. Rohit is watching the ball and runs into Viljoen, who half-heartedly apologies. Rohit reckons the bowler should not have been in the way and has a word or two to say. It takes the umpires to separate them.

Smith decides the sweep is the way to tackle Tahir and finds the square leg boundary twice.

2238 IST

After 8 overs, Mumbai Indians are 47 for 2, with Smith on 26 and Rohit on 0.

With Mumbai Indians having limped to 29 in the PowerPlay overs, Dwayne Smith decided he’d had enough and tore into Tsotsobe, swinging a full delivery over long-on and the next over cow corner. 16 came from the 7th over.

But Karthik doesn’t stick around for long, slashing a simple catch for the cover fielder off Imran Tahir.

Karthik c Petersen b Imran Tahir 13 (19b 1x4 1x6)

2219 IST

After 4 overs, Mumbai Indians are 24 for 1.

A huge roar for Tendulkar as he walked out to open the innings. He was aggressive from the start and went for his shorts but but his timing was off and he failed to middle most of them. Sohail Tanvir ended his struggle with a beautifully disguised slower ball. Tendulkar was through his shot and didn’t bother looking back as his stumps were rearranged.

Tendulkar b Sohail Tanvir 5 (8b 0x4 0x6)

At the other end, Dwayne Smith was more circumspect than usual, with just one straight six off Tanvir. Dinesh Karthik managed to play the upper cut off Viljoen over point for six too, as MI got off to a sluggish start.

2150 IST

After 20 overs, Lions post 140 for 5 (Petersen 35*, Pretorius 31*, Harbhajan 1-19)

Petersen and Pretorius breathed some life into Lions’ innings, adding 59 together from 39 balls, with 51 of those coming off the last five overs. Each of them managed a six each off Ojha, with Pretorius bashing his 103 metres – the longest of the tournament.

In a curious bit of captaincy, Kieron Pollard’s first over was the 19th of the innings, and Pretorious was happy to muscle him over midwicket for another six.

Dhawan finished with figures of 1 for 22 from his four overs, with his last over going for 11 runs. Harbhajan had 1 for 19 while Ojha had 2 for 26 from three overs.

2127 IST

After 15 overs, Lions are 89 for 5, with Petersen on 13 and Pretorius on 3.

Symes smacked Ojha for six over midwicket but that was the highlight for the Lions. Ojha came right back to knock Symes’ legstump out of the ground, then roared in delight, which the batsman did not appreciate.

Jean Symes b Ojha 14 (16b, 0x4, 1x6)

Ojha picked up a second wicket when Sohail Tanvir tried to clear deep midwicket but hit it straight to the fielder riding the boundary

Sohail Tanvir c Smith b Ojha 2 (5b 0x4 0x6)

2110 IST

After 10 overs, Lions are 62 for 3, with Symes on 6.

McKenzie and Jean Symes found it tough to get the ball away against Rishi Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh. Dhawan started with a maiden while Harbhajan came on in the sixth over and trapped de Kock lbw with the one that goes straight on.

Q de Kock lbw b Harbhajan Singh 19 (22b 4x4 0x6)

A delicate reverse-sweep by McKenzie of Harbhajan and a lofted on-drive over cow corner off Dhawan were the only two boundaries for five overs.

Dhawan capped the spell of pressure by knocing McKenzie’s offstump out of the ground.

ND McKenzie b Dhawan 16 (14b 1x4 1x6)

Rather different from McKenzie’s previous two innings against Mumbai:

2045 IST

After 5 overs, Lions are 40 for 1, with de Kock on 19 and McKenzie on 1

Rassie van der Dussen slapped Johnson through the covers a couple of times in the third over and Quinton de Kock did the same to Nathan Coulter-Nile in the fourth over to get Lions moving. But Johnson strikes back with a short ball that van der Dussen is late on and only able to give square leg catching practice.

HE van der Dussen c Dhawan b Johnson 13 (15b 3x4 0x6)

2030 IST

And we are back. Been a slow start for the Lions. After 2 overs they are 7 for no loss, with five of those runs coming from a Mitchell Johnson bouncer that looped over the keeper and went for four.

2010 IST

The power has failed at the stadiums and the lights have gone off. Harsha Bhogle says it take will take 15 to 20 minutes to get power back and the lights up and running.

1945 IST

Mumbai Indians have won the toss and will bowl first.

Here are the playing XIs:

Lions: Q de Kock, R van der Dussen, H Viljoen, A Petersen, N McKenzie, J Symes, D Pretorius, Sohail Tanvir, A Phangiso, I Tahir, L Tsotsobe.

Mumbai Indians: RG Sharma, DR Smith, S Tendulkar, D Karthik, A Rayudu, K Pollard, H Singh, N Coulter-Nile, R Dhawan, M Johnson, P Ojha

Preview Jolted by the loss to Rajasthan Royals in their opening match before the second tie was washed out, IPL winners Mumbai Indians would be eager to stamp their authority in a do-or-die battle against Highveld Lions in their Group A game.

Like Mumbai, the Lions have also lost one match while another got abandoned. Both the teams have just two points from as many outings and in order to keep their chances alive in the tournament, would need to win tomorrow’s game.

The star-studded Mumbai outfit could not have hoped for a worse start. They looked a bit rusty while facing the Royals and since then they had little chance to iron out their flaws. Veteran Sachin Tendulkar, playing his last tournament for the Mumbai Indians, showed some spark with a 15-run cameo against the Royals, which included three fours.

But Mumbai will need more than that from the star batsman. Skipper Rohit Sharma continued to show good form while Kieron Pollard was also impressive with a 36-ball 47 down the order. Besides these two, the likes of Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Kartik and Ambati Rayudu have the ability to give any opponent a run for its money.

Mumbai’s bowling department, in the absence of match-winning pacer Lasith Malinga, failed to take off against Rajasthan. Pacer Mitchell Johnson, who is expected to fill Malinga’s role, went wicketless, while Nathan Coulter-Nile also could not make any impression. India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh looked off-colour, too.

But if the bowlers are able to fire in unison they could easily prove to be more than a handful for the Lions who were seen struggling against leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, whose brilliant four for 15 paved the way for Rajasthan’s victory last night.

PTI