South Africa's Pro20 champions Cape Cobras were dealt a solid blow before the start of the Champions League Twenty20 as captain Graeme Smith was ruled out because of an injury. Despite his absence, the Cobras boast of a strong squad that includes South Africa's star batsmen Jean Paul Duminy and Herschelle Gibbs.
Herschelle Gibbs will represent his home team Cape Cobras, instead of his Indian Premier League franchise Deccan Chargers, in this year's Champions League Twenty20 tournament.
Kings XI Punjab would aim to keep the winning run going when they take on South Africa's Cape Cobras in a Group B encounter of the Champions League in Mohali on Sunday.
Skipper Andrew Puttick (104) hit the first century of the inaugural Champions League as Cape Cobras handed a 54-run mauling to Otago Volts to qualify for the Super Eight stage of the event here on Saturday.
Cape Cobras held their nerve at key moments to get the better of Barbados Tridents via the 'Super Over' in the Champions League T20 match in Mohali on Friday to keep their slender hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive. Chasing a fighting target of 175, Cobras started in whirlwind fashion but lost momentum before scrambling up 174 for five to tie the scores. Jonathan Carter's brilliant unbeaten 111 for Tridents went in vain as the South African outfit came up trumps in a pulsating affair.
Half-centuries from Owais Shah and Dane Vilas were in vain as Trinidad and Tobago staged a dramatic, late onslaught to pull off a sensational two-wicket victory over Cape Cobras in a Champions League Twenty20 thriller at the M A Chidambaram stadium, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
South African pilot Rudolf Erasmus has been lauded by flight experts for a safe emergency landing after a highly venomous Cape cobra reared its head in the cockpit mid-flight.
The in-form Mumbai Indians will be hoping to continue their winning run in the Champions League Twenty20 tournament and book a semifinal berth when they take on Cape Cobras in Bangalore on Thursday.
Mumbai Indians were left to rue their luck as heavy rains forced their Champions League Twenty20 match against Cape Cobras to be abandoned in Bangalore on Friday, hampering the home side's chances of advancing to the semifinals.
Virtually through to the semi-finals after a comprehensive win over Royal Challengers, Victoria Bushrangers would strive to consolidate their position when they take on Cape Cobras in their Champions League match in Bangalore on Saturday.
In a side filled with international players, Michael Rippon's place in Cape Cobras' playing eleven is not certain, but the young spinner said he is confident of at least getting a game in the ongoing Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament in Chennai.
Rory Kleinveldt and Justin Ontong scalped two wickets each as Cape Cobras restricted a hapless Delhi Daredevils to a paltry 114 for six in an inconsequential League B match of the inaugural Champions League at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground on Monday.
Already out of contention for a semifinal berth, Delhi Daredevils would look to salvage some pride with a consolation win against Cape Cobras in an inconsequential Champions League Twenty20 match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.
They have demolished every rival en route to the last-four stage but Trinidad and Tobago face their toughest challenge so far when they take on in-form Cape Cobras in the battle for a final spot of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Henry Davids cracked a breezy half-century as Cape Cobras registered an eight wicket victory over Victoria Bushrangers and set one foot into the semifinals of the Champions League Twenty20, in Bangalore on Saturday.
Andrew Puttick played a captains knock with an unbeaten 104 to steer Cape Cobras to a mammoth 193 for four against Otago Volts in a Group C match of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium on Saturday.
J P Duminy's unbeaten 99 off 52 balls, that included eight fours and five sixes, helped Cape Cobras of South Africa beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets in the opening match of the Champions League T20.
Aiden Blizzard played a blistering knock as Hobart Hurricanes beat Cape Cobras by six wickets in a group league encounter of the Champions League T20, to keep their hopes of qualifying for the semi-final alive.
Chennai Super Kings' skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was all praise for his bowlers after the home side's three-pronged pace attack restricted Cape Cobras to a modest score of 145 a thereafter registered a thrilling four-wicket victory in the Champions League Twenty20 match in Chennai on Wednesday.
Dwayne Bravo's unbeaten counter-attacking 25-ball 46 lifted defending champions Chennai Super Kings from a hopeless situation to a stunning four-wicket victory over Cape Cobras in a Champions League Twenty20 match on Wednesday.
Nothing less than a win will do for Cape Cobras and Trinidad & Tobago when they clash on Tuesday in their last Champions League Twenty20 match of Group A, which is poised tantalisingly with all five teams still in with a chance of making it to the knockout stage.
Former South Africa opener Herschelle Gibbs blazed his way to a 47-ball 55 as Cape Cobras cantered to a seven-wicket win over New South Wales in their Champions League Twenty20 match in Chennai on Saturday.
A clinical Kings XI Punjab crushed Cape Cobras by seven wickets for their fourth win in a row as they ended their Group B engagements with a flourish in the Champions League Twenty20 in Mohali.
# Chennai Super Kings' exciting four-wicket victory is their sixth in eight matches in the Champions League Twenty20 with a success percentage of 81.25 (Lost 1 and Tied 1).
A look at the fixtures of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.
South African opener Herschelle Gibbs will play for the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Champions League Twenty20 series rather than his home team Cape Cobras, which is also participating in the tournament.
The inaugural Champions League Twenty20 tournament begins in Bangalore on Thursday, October 8, with Indian Premier League-II runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on South Africa's Cape Cobras. Hyderabad will host the final, on October 23, as well as the second semi-final, on October 22, while Delhi host the first semi-final on October 21. A look at some of the players who could light up the 16-day tournament.
Indian Premier League-II runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore take on South Africa's Cape Cobras in the opening match of the Champions League Twenty20 [ Images ] cricket tournament that commences in Bangalore on October 8. Hyderabad will host the final, on October 23, as well as the second semi-final, on October 22, while Delhi will host the first semi-final on October 21.
Three Indian teams -- IPL II champions Deccan Chargers Hyderabad, runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils, the top finishers after the league phase -- will figure in the tournament, matches of which will be played at three centres.
Cape Cobras were dealt a severe blow after all-rounder JP Duminy has been ruled out of Oppo Champions League Twenty20 due to an injury and has been replaced by Sybrand Engelbrecht.
South Africa all-rounder JP Duminy has decided to quit Test cricket but will continue to feature in the shorter formats of the game.
Rains took some sheen off Kane Williamson's record batting display of scoring the fastest ever century in Champions League Twenty20 as New Zealand side Northern Knights beat Cape Cobras of South Africa by 33 runs under Duckworth-Lewis method in Raipur.
Jean-Paul Duminy: The attacking South African middle-order player has been at his destructive best in the Champions League. Playing for Cape Cobras, Duminy smashed an unbeaten 99 off 52 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening match of the tournament.
Disappointed to start their campaign on a losing note, Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble on Thursday held his team's poor fielding responsible for the five-wicket defeat against Cape Cobras in the opening Group C match of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament in Bangalore. Kumble also heaped praise on Jean-Paul Duminy, who scored an unbeaten 99 to see the Cobras through.
The in-form Mumbai Indians will be looking to seal a semi-final spot when they take on New South Wales Blues in their final group match of the Champions League Twenty20 in Chennai on Sunday.
After suffering an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Cape Cobras, Victorian Bushrangers captain Cameron White on Saturday admitted their batting order failed to shrug off the hangover of two quick dismissals in very first over of the match.
South African Test captain Graeme Smith has reportedly completed his first competitive outing since May in a warm-up match between Indian side Madhya Pradesh and Proteas domestic side Cape Cobras at Newlands.
The schedule and scorecards of matches in the 2011 Champions League T20 tournament.
The schedule and scorecards of matches in the Champions League T20 tournament.