Strikers trounce Super Kings

Dubai - Bond slipped into his large bowling boots like he had never been out of it

It was five years and seven months, to be precise, since he last played but it seemed like yesterday. Shane Bond, undoubtedly the quickest man of his time along with Trans-Tasmanian rival Brett Lee, turned back the clock.
Looking fitter and sharper than ever, Bond slipped into his large bowling boots like he had never been out of it. Bond who threatened speed meters around the world, be it the WACA, Wanderers, Wellington, with alarming regularity, turned back the years in the Masters Champions League.
The pace was still there maybe not like it used to be, but it was there. And those spewed venom as he polished off the Virgo Super Kings top order. Bond, along with his former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, dented the opposition to carve out a 26-run win in their tournament opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
After opener Mahela Jayawardene raced to 69 from 47 balls, studded with seven crisp boundaries and three screaming sixes, to give the Sagittarius Strikers 157 on the board, Bond wrecked the Virgo Super Kings top order with three wickets and leave them in shambles.
Vettori followed that up by inflicting more pain on the Virgo Super Kings with three wickets.
Sagittarius Strikers captain Adam Gilchrist called right and licked his lips on taking first strike. The southpaw and Jayawardene went full tilt even though Brett Lee bowled beautifully.
Old warhorse Gilchrist smashed 13 from 12 balls with two boundaries before being caught by wicketkeeper James Foster off Azhar Mahmood. But there was no stopping Jayawardene, despite England's Michael Carberry too departing after a 24-ball 27.
The stylish Sri Lankan coshed 69 before being caught by Malinga Bandara off Jacob Oram.
james@khaleejtimes.com