Champions League Twenty20: Perth Scorchers 'Lucky' to be on Winning Side, Says Mitchell Marsh
Perth Scorchers all-rounder Mitchell Marsh smashed two sixes off last two balls to take his side to an unexpected win over Dolphins.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: September 21, 2014 09:37 am IST
Having pulled off an improbable win by hitting two successive sixes off the last two deliveries, Perth Scorchers' Mitchell Marsh said that his team was lucky to be on the winning side as they defeated Dolphins in a league encounter of Champions League Twenty20 in Mohali.
The team from Australia beat South Africa's Dolphins by six wickets. Needing 12 off the last two deliveries, Marsh dispatched seamer Robbie Frylinck over deep mid-wicket and long-on to successfully chase down a target of 165 set up by the Dolphins.
Marsh, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his 40 off 26 balls with three fours and two sixes, told reporters after the match that they were lucky to win in the end.
Asked with two balls remaining, did he think there was any chance of hitting two sixes, he said his mind was racing to get the runs needed.
"Lucky, we were on the winning side," he said. Asked what was his thought after he hit the first six in the final over, Marsh said, "I knew we needed to hit the six. We had a big focus as a whole squad the whole batting unit to just have a clear mind and back ourselves, nothing changed in those last two balls. I tried to swing as hard I could and watch the ball."
Marsh gave credit to the Dolphins bowlers for the way they bowled and restricted the Scorchers despite the Aussies being well in control of the game earlier in the innings.
Asked if stroke making was difficult or was it the case of good bowling towards the end, Marsh said, "It's a beautiful wicket to bat on. I thought they bowled really well in the end, to be honest. They bowled good yorkers and we did not get those boundaries when we needed them."
Coach Justin Langer said he was also happy with the win but gave credit to the Dolphins for the way they batted after losing early wickets and then bowled tight towards the end barring the two hits which went for sixes.
"I actually admired the way they batted, they lost some early wickets, but kept going really hard right throughout the innings. Rather than being surprised, I respect the way they did that under pressure, they kept coming back at us hard. After the runs we had, it was a great credit for that," he said.
Asked if he thought the Scorchers bowlers lost their plot a bit or did he think 160 odd was a par score, Langer said, "I don't think I would be using the word lost the plot when I talked to them. I felt we did not finish very well with the ball, that scenario we need to get better. But we saw in our innings as well it is the hardest thing for any team to do to bowl in the end, but I thought Joel (Paris) bowled magnificently well, probably showed our senior players how to do it actually."