Youth the key for New South Wales
October 07, 2011 08:56:28 UK
A New South Wales side with plenty of experience in Simon Katich, Stuart Clark and Shane Watson may require their younger players to carry them to Champions League victory against Royal Challengers.
Stuart Katich has guided his side through to the semi-finals.Fast bowler Pat Cummins is only 18 but his blistering pace and his variations have proved a massive asset to the bowling attack. Moises Henriques has returned from injury with some useful bowling figures and has the confidence to try things.
Nathan Hauritz could be vulnerable on the small ground and will need to call on his Test experience to deal with the situation. Watson, Steve O'Keefe and Mitchell Starc add to the captain's hand if anyone is blitzed out of the attack.
Shaun Tait showed how it should be done with his five wickets on Wednesday but three came in the penultimate over when he bowled at the stumps.
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Katich must impress on his men that taking wickets is the key to restricting the total posted by Bangalore. He appears to have slightly the better options at his disposal and both sides have a top trio to be wary of in Bangalore's Chris Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli against Dave Warner, Watson and Katich. The Australians appear to bat further down the order than the hosts, so early wickets are the key.
The other main issue that South Australia appeared to overlook earlier this week is that over 70 per cent of side's batting second are successful at this venue. In that game Bangalore had no option but to take on the seemingly impossible as they would have been eliminated without a victory.
Whoever bats second in this game will face the same position and, as the six off the last ball to secure 215 and the win proved on Wednesday, chasing here means almost anything is possible. The balance appears to favour New South Wales but the toss may well prove decisive.
New South Wales are 2.10 to win the semi-final while Bangalore can be backed at 1.72.
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