Clinical Warriors storm into CLT20 final

Centurion:

Warriors produced a clinical display and defeated South Australia Redbacks comprehensively by 40 runs to storm into the final of the Champions League Twenty20 here on Saturday.

Riding on captain Davy Jacobs' blistering 61 and his 105-run second-wicket stand with Colin Ingram (46), Warriors posted a challenging 175 for six and then restricted South Australia to 145 for seven to register a comfortable win in the second semifinal at the SuperSport Park.

Warriors will take on Chennai Super Kings in the final at the Wanderers on Sunday.

Scorecard | Stats | Player Records

The Indian Premier League champions had earlier beaten fellow IPL side Royal Challengers Bangalore by 52 runs via Duckworth Lewis method in the rain-marred first semifinal last night.

Earlier, opting to bat, Jacobs led from the front with the quicKfire half century and together with Ingram set the tone for the competitive score with the century plus second-wicket partnership that came off just 72 balls.

Jacobs quickfire 41-ball innings was decorated with 10 boundaries and a six, while Ingram struck three fours and a six during his stay.

Nicky Boje came up with a short little seven-ball 22 run unbeaten cameo in the end to take Warriors beyond the 170-run mark.

Medium-pacer Daniel Harris pulled South Australia back into the match with figures of three for 18 from his four overs, while Shaun Tait scalped two victims for 37.

South Australia's chase never got going as they lost wickets upfront to find themselves in a precarious position and eventually fell short by 30 runs.

Callum Ferguson fought a losing cause for South Australia with a quickfire 71 that came off just 49 balls but his heroics were not enough to take his side into the summit clash.

For Warriors Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Johan Botha picked up two wickets apiece, giving away 16 and 34 runs respectively.

Defending the target, Tsotsobe struck twin blows in the fourth over to send South Australia in the back foot.

Tsotsobe got Daniel Harris and dangerman Michael Klinger in a span of four deliveries to give his side the upper hand.

Harris was the first to depart as he top-edged one to Mark Boucher behind the stumps and then Klinger picked up Johan Botha at deep midwicket two balls later.

If that was not enough, Boje caught Graham Manou off his own bowling and then in the next over Cameron Borgas was caught by Jacobs off Botha.

Needing 58 off 18, Ferguson tried a last-ditch effort to make something out of the match as he dispatched Botha for two fours and a six to reduce the margin before the off-spinner got his revenge in the final delivery of the over.

Botha caught Ferguson plumb in front of the wicket as the right-hander went for a reverse sweep to end the hopes of the Australians.

Earlier, Warriors had a great start and finish to their innings, which at one stage looked bleak after they lost five wickets for just 41 runs in the middle overs.

Contrary to the scorecard, Warriors innings started on a disastrous note as they lost Ashwell Prince in the very second delivery, caught at first slip by Harris off Tait.

But Jacobs and Ingram counter-attacked the South Australia bowlers to get back into the match and race to their fifty in just five overs.

The duo took the South Australia bowlers for a ride to pile up 34 runs in the next two overs.

South Australia skipper Klinger's decision to give the second over to Aaron O'Brien backfired as Ingram smashed the left-arm spinner for two fours and six to start the run flow for the Warriors.

After the initial burst from Ingram, it was skipper Jacobs turn to cut loose as he clobbered Tait for two boundaries and a six in the next over.

From there on, the duo did not spare a single South Australia bowler as they took them for a leatherhunt and found boundaries at will to notch up the team's 100 in 11 overs.

Warriors' task was made easy by some sloppy fielding from South Australia as they dropped as many as three catches --two of Ingram and Mark Boucher once.

Jacobs was the aggressive among the two batsmen as he notched up his fifty in 34 balls. But a little too aggression eventually led to his downfall but not before giving his side the perfect platform to launch the final assault.

He mis hit a Harris delivery, only to give a skier back to the bowler at square leg.

Jacobs' dismissal helped South Australia pull the plug as Harris and leg-spinner Cullen Bailey maintained a good line and length to stem the run flow.

Warriors' cause was not helped by two quick wickets in the form of Ingram and Craig Thyssen in a span of two overs.

Mark Boucher made vital 21-ball 25 before perishing, but South Australia skipper Klinger went wrong for the second time in the match when he gave Daniel Christian the last over.

Christian went for 23 runs in the last over as Botha smashed back-to-back sixes a four and then Justin Kreusch finished off the proceedings with another hit over the fence.