Chennai Super Kings will play the New South Wales Blues in the 18th game of the Champions League T20 2011 main draw. The game will be played at the M Chidamabaram on what should be a slow and rather low track, and given that it will be the second game of the day, it should make scoring even more difficult.
The points table for Group A is interesting. As things stand, New South Wales will be assured of a berth in the semi-finals if they win the game, but such will not be the case with the Super Kings. A win for them would only translate into qualification for the semi-finals if the side can get their net run-rate to above the others in the group. And yes, it will only carry weight if the Trinidad and Tobago side win their game against the Cobras. In short, the Super Kings need a lot of things going right for them.
The Super Kings have had a disappointing campaign. They should have won against the Mumbai Indians but now as we all know, Lasith Malinga batted the Super Kings out. Malinga, who had had only 37 runs in this format of the game before that innings, doubled his career score in one shot. Then, they struggled to put it across the Cobras but their lowest nadir would have been against the Trinidad and Tobago side. Chasing 124 for a win, the side capitulated to a loss, failing to lift the run-rate against the slower bowlers.
Thankfully for the Super Kings, the New South Wales Blues do not have a spin bowling line-up they can rely on. There is always a Steve O’Keefe, but more often than not, the side relies on the pace bowling of Stuart Clark and Patrick Cummins and that should not test the Super Kings as much as the pair of Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree had.
The South Australians, despite their two wins, have almost slipped under the radar. They have not had any great individual performers, but as a team they have been almost lethal. What has also helped is that they have had someone or the other rescue them from dire situations; first it was Moises Henriques and then it was followed by Steve Smith and Ben Rohrer. Interestingly, neither Shane Watson nor Dave Warner have got anything big so far, and even a 30-40 from either could turn things around for the side.
Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina will be players to look for in the Super Kings ranks. On the other hand, how the backup Blues bowling bowl will be a huge factor in determining the result of the game.