Delhi Daredevils vs Cape Cobras Champions League T20 Match Preview
Delhi Daredevils v Cape Cobras, Champions League, Delhi
Monday October 19
Start time 20.00 (14.30 GMT)
Match Preview:
The final League B match at the Feroz Shah Kotla is almost a dead rubber but a Cape Cobras victory against Delhi Daredevils on Monday will give the South African team six points and take them to the top of the group, setting up a semi-final clash against New South Wales at the same venue. A defeat will result in them slipping to second place, in which case they will have to travel to Hyderabad to face Trinidad & Tobago.
The Cobras started the Champions League with a win but that result against Bangalore was due largely to JP Duminy's lone hand. However, they steadily improved and have started to fire as a unit. The fixture against Delhi will serve as match practice ahead of the semi-final, and it is also an opportunity for Herschelle Gibbs to bat himself into form.
Delhi are already out of the competition and will be playing for a consolation win in their final game of a disappointing tournament for IPL teams. They have severely missed the services of their injured foreign stars, Daniel Vettori and AB de Viilliers, on the slow and low tracks of the Kotla and are desperate for one last hurrah.
Watch out for
Amit Mishra: He was hammered by Ross Taylor and the other Royal Challengers in the previous game but he will be expected to bounce back on the spin-friendly Kotla track. To be fair, the Bangalore game was an aberration, as Mishra has done well most of the time.
Andrew Puttick: A soft-spoken man from Cape Town who made the memorable quote - "I am just a cricketer, not a diplomat" - the other night when asked about the security scare that delayed the Bangalore game. He has been a revelation in this tournament, leading the team skillfully, and has shone with the bat. His hard hitting, which resulted in the first century of the tournament, was a surprise even for fellow countryman Allan Donald.
Tillakaratne Dilshan: He hasn't managed anything spectacular so far but one can expect Dilshan to stitch together at least one flamboyant knock before the tournament ends. Perhaps it will be his day tomorrow.
Herschelle Gibbs: He opted out of the last game due to security reasons but is likely to play this one. He has not been among the runs and should take this opportunity to get his act going before the semi-finals.
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