Chennai cruises home in Champions League final

Chennai Super Kings added the Champions League Twenty20 title to their Indian Premier League crown, underlining their status as the best club team in the world in cricket’s shortest format.

By (AP)

Published: Mon 27 Sep 2010, 4:01 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 3:04 AM

Chennai produced a dominant performance to beat South Africa’s Warriors by eight wickets in the Champions League final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg and collect the $2.5 million prize.

The Indian team cruised to 132-2, and a convincing win, after restricting the home favorites to 128-7.

Spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and man-of-the-tournament Ravichandran Ashwin combined for five wickets, and openers Murali Vijay and Mike Hussey made half-centuries in a near-perfect, all-around performance from Chennai in the decider.

“Winning the IPL and now the Champions League, it’s a very emotional moment for us,” Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “The senior players have really done a good job. The environment has been superb ... it can’t get any better than this.”

Muralitharan’s superb 3-16 and Ashwin’s 2-16 killed off the Warriors’ hopes of posting a competitive total.

Vijay hit 58 to become competition’s highest run-scorer and put on a 103-run opening partnership with Hussey, who made 51 not out. It was the Indian team’s second win over the Warriors at the tournament.

Dhoni fired a four down to long-on for the winning runs.

“We’re disappointed,” Warriors skipper Davy Jacobs said. “They beat us twice in the competition and they deserve to win it. We couldn’t get over the line but we’re still happy.”

Chennai swept the awards as Ashwin’s two wickets ensured he topped the wicket-takers, with 13 in six matches. He finished ahead of teammates Muralitharan (12) and Doug Bollinger (9).

“There’s nothing more special than finishing the tournament with a victory,” Ashwin said.

The offspinner’s victims in the final included Jacobs for 34. The Warriors skipper finished second in the run list behind Vijay.

Jacobs hit eight fours in a rapid start but was out lbw to Ashwin. Muralitharan then grabbed two wickets in an over, dismissing Mark Boucher and Justin Kreusch in the 14^th as the Warriors fell away.

Craig Thyssen made 25 from 18 balls before he was out to Muralitharan as the Port Elizabeth-based team limped to 128-7.

Chennai waited until the 13^th over before the first six of its innings, from Vijay, as it cantered rather than raced to the victory target.

Vijay overtook Jacobs as overall top run-scorer when he reached 51. He was finally caught on the long-off boundary by Kreusch off spinner Nick Boje, to finish with 296 runs in six innings — at an average of 49.00.

“After we limited them to 120-odd, we just wanted to go out there and play our natural game,” Vijay said. “Hussey and I just tried to play naturally and we did it. I’ve been working hard and it’s a great tournament to be part of.”

Suresh Raina also fell attempting a big hit for the Warriors’ second wicket, but Dhoni ended the encounter with a six and two fours in the 19^th over as Chennai powered home for its second major Twenty20 prize in 2010.

The game was also South African umpire Rudi Koertzen’s last major appearance. The 61-year-old Koertzen, who retired from international cricket in July, stood in 108 tests, 209 ODIs and 14 T20 internationals in an 18-year career.