Malinga takes Mumbai Indians into Champions League final

A fantastic bowling effort from Lasith Malinga ensured Mumbai Indians edge past English county side Somerset by 10 runs in the second semi-final of the Champions League Twenty20 on Saturday night

Malinga takes Mumbai Indians into Champions League final

A fantastic bowling effort from Lasith Malinga ensured Mumbai Indians edge past English county side Somerset by 10 runs in the second semi-final of the Champions League Twenty20 on Saturday night. Mumbai will meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium today.

Lasith Malinga

In reply to Mumbai Indians' 160 for five in their allotted 20 overs, Somerset could only reach 150 for seven with Sri Lankan pace ace Lasith Malinga claiming four for 20. Craig Kieswetter top-scored for them with 62 from 46 balls.

Earlier, Aiden Blizzard smashed 54 off 39 balls to help Mumbai Indians post 160 for five. Blizzard slammed five fours and three sixes. Blizzard and Ambati Rayudu added 43 runs for the second wicket to lay the foundation, but the Australian opener didn't get enough support from the middle-order.

Somerset's Nick Compton is bowled by Mumbai Indians' Lasith
Malinga during the Champions League Twenty20 second semi-final
in Chennai on Saturday. PIC/AFP

However, some lusty hitting by Suryakumar Yadav (23 n o) and Rajagopal Sathish (25 n o) helped Mumbai cross the 150-run mark after a sedate first 10 overs. At the halfway stage, Mumbai Indians were 76 for two.u00a0 Blizzard then shifted gears and scored his fifty in style by lifting Murali Kartik over mid-wicket for the maximum in the 11th over.

Mumbai were reduced to 92 for four in the 13th over when Blizzard was dismissed by Kartik. That, however, paved the way for big-hitting Kieron Pollard (24 off 18 balls) to come in and bat in his customary style.

He joined hands with Yadav, who came in place of Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, to bail Mumbai out. Yadav's six off Roelof van der Merwe over deep mid-wicket was worth watching. Meanwhile, Yadav and Sathish produced a late onslaught and mustered 43 runs off just 22 balls on the slow Chidambaram track.