Malinga does it for Mumbai Indians

The Hindu DEMOLITION MAN: Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians was at his fiery best, picking up four wickets and taking his team to the finals. Photo: K. Pichumani

Kieswetter's half-century in vain as Kieswetter's half-century in vain as Somerset loses by 10 runs

: Mumbai Indians' imports Lasith Malinga (four for 20) and Aiden Blizzard (54, 39b, 5x4, 3x6) made it an all-IPL final, helping their side to a 10-run win over Somerset in the semifinal of the Champions League T20 at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.

Malinga picked up two wickets in his first spell and two more in the final over of the match to ensure Somerset never gained the upper hand in its chase of MI's Blizzard-propelled score of 160 for five. MI will now face fellow IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final on Sunday.

Early wickets

Somerset was always going to struggle in its pursuit after two of its top-three scorers in the tournament were sent packing within the third over. The Sri Lankan fired in a trademark yorker past a clueless Peter Trego on the second ball, and in his next over sent down a straight full-toss that landed on the base of Roelof van der Merwe's wicket.

From 17 for two at the end of the third over, Craig Kieswetter (62, 46b, 7x4, 1x6), the last of the English side's in-form trio, was first required to steady the rocking boat.

This he accomplished in the company of James Hildreth (39, 33b, 6x4), as Somerset got to a run-a-ball only in the eighth over of the chase.

Hildreth then collected two boundaries of Yuzvendra Chahal in the ninth over and when Kieswetter hit R. Sathish for two more boundaries in the eleventh, Somerset had clawed its way back.

Harbhajan hits back

Harbhajan Singh hit back with the wicket of Hildreth, but Kieswetter countered, taking Abu Nechim for 16 runs in the 17th over.

The skipper's move to give James Franklin, who has done little bowling so far this tournament, the penultimate over, proved successful, with the Kiwi picking up the wickets of both Kieswetter and Jos Buttler, conceding just seven.

With 15 needed of six deliveries, Malinga finished the job he started in his first over, knocking over Nick Compton and Murali Kartik with fuller deliveries to give Mumbai the win.

Blizzard shines

Earlier, it was left to Aiden Blizzard to shovel in the coal as Mumbai Indians chugged along in the early stages of its innings, almost entirely banking on the opener's ability to subvert the slowness of the track.

Somerset had clearly identified the short-pitched delivery (which barely climbed) as the one that would be the most difficult to put away, and operated throughout on this premise.

Blizzard resisted the temptation to slog the drooping half-trackers, waiting instead for the odd full ball, and cashed in each time one was served up.

The southpaw did most of the IPL side's boundary hitting, coming up with all but two of MI's 4s and 6s in the Power Play (at the end of which MI was 51 for one) — a stat that, incredibly, stayed the same until the last ball of the 14th over when Kieron Pollard dumped van der Merwe over mid-wicket.

Blizzard's continued presence also had the effect of delaying the onset of Somerset's premier containing option, its slow left-arm bowlers.

Murali Kartik was held back from bowling inside the field restrictions, while van der Merwe came on only after the southpaw's dismissal in the 13th over (bowled off Kartik).

The opener's exit at 92 for four set the stage for the final push, which, despite the presence of Pollard, looked like would never arrive.

The Trinidadian picked up his second six from another full ball, the first of the 16th over, but for the next 16 deliveries stretching across the 16th, 17th and 18th overs, MI went boundary-less.

For all the controversies surrounding MI's allotment of overseas cricketers, it was left to Suryakumar Yadav (23 n.o., 19b, 3x4) and R. Satish (25 n.o., 12b, 2x4, 1x6) to take MI to 160, their death-hitting proving to be the difference between the sides.

The scores:

Mumbai Indians: A. Blizzard b M. Kartik 54 (39b, 5x4, 3x6), S. Kanwar c Butler b Kirby 2 (6b), A. Rayudu c Kieswetter b Dibble 19 (19b, 2x4), J. Franklin lbw van der Merwe 6 (9b), K. Pollard b Thomas 24 (18b, 2x6), S. Yadav (not out) 23 (19b, 3x4), R. Sathish (not out) 25 (12b, 2x4, 1x6); Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-1, nb-2): 7; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 160.

Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-62, 3-86, 4-92, 5-117.

Somerset bowling: Thomas 4-0-34-1, Kirby 3-0-31-1, Dibble 4-0-20-1, M. Kartik 4-0-30-1, van der Merwe 4-0-32-1, Trego 1-0-9-0.

Somerset: P. Trego b Malinga 0 (2b), C. Kieswetter c Pollard b Franklin 62 (46b, 7x4, 1x6), R. van der Merwe b Malinga 10 (9b, 2x4), J. Hildreth b Harbhajan 39 (33b, 6x4), J. Buttler b Franklin 19 (22b, 2x4), N. Compton b Malinga 5 (3b, 1x4), A. Suppiah (not out) 0 (2b), M. Kartik b Malinga 0 (1b), A. Thomas (not out) 3 (2b); Extras (b-7, lb-2, w-3): 12; Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 150.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-17, 3-100, 4-141, 5-142, 6-147, 7-147.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Malinga 4-0-20-4, Nechim 4-0-31-0, Chahal 3-0-26-0, Harbhajan 3-0-25-1, Pollard 2-0-10-0, Sathish 1-0-13-0, Franklin 3-0-16-2.

Keywords: CL T20, Lasith Malinga