chris DON jus keep SHELLING

[Skeng DX]

Bangalore finish on top of table

Royal Challengers Bangalore 129 for 2 (Gayle 75*) beat Chennai Super Kings 128 for 8 (Dhoni 70*, Vettori 2-15) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details @ http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-p...ch/501266.html

Chris Gayle indulged himself after his bowlers restricted Chennai Super Kings to a below-par 128 to ensure Royal Challengers Bangalore will finish top of the points table. The result also secured their berth in this year's Champions League.

Chennai were always facing inevitable defeat once their top order crumbled six overs into the game. Tottering at 22 for 4, MS Dhoni consolidated initially before looting quick runs in the end, but 128 wasn't going to test Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Especially with Gayle unleashing hell.

Gayle left his mark on the chase and it was violent. A six flew over third man, another disappeared over cow corner, a third, off Suresh Raina, landed in the upper tier of the long-on stands and a fierce straight drive rammed into Albie Morkel's shin. A limping Morkel continued bowling after receiving some treatment but Gayle promptly dispatched a short delivery over the deep midwicket boundary. But while Gayle thrilled the home crowd, it was the bowlers who won the game for Bangalore.

The first couple of overs set the tone: Zaheer Khan nearly yorked M Vijay and beat Michael Hussey with couple of outswingers, and S Aravind hit a nagging line and length to handcuff Chennai. The breakthrough came in the third over when Hussey dragged an away-going delivery on to his stumps. It was a sign of things to come. Vijay hung his bat out against Aravind, Suresh Raina top edged a pull off Zaheer and when S Badrinath lifted Daniel Vettori to long-off Chennai were wobbling at 22 for 4 from 5.4 overs.

It was left to Dhoni to play the lone ranger but every time he tried to switch to attacking mode, a wicket fell, forcing him to revert to caution. He added 26 runs with Wriddhiman Saha from 6.4 overs and Chennai reached 60 for 4 in 12 overs. Saha swung Gayle for a six over midwicket in the next over to suggest a possible change in the mindset but he fell, trying to repeat the shot off Virat Kohli in the 14th over.

Dhoni was on a run-a-ball 19 at that stage and soon swung Gayle for his second six to hint at a revival, but Dwayne Bravo was trapped by an arm-ball from Vettori, forcing Dhoni to slow down again. He went quiet for a couple of overs and it was only in the final over, bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun, that Dhoni really displayed his brand of violence. He pulled a six and a four before he smote one over the midwicket boundary to finish off in style. It was far from enough though.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-p...ry/516178.html

[Peter R]

You notice how Chris Gayle lazy?

In a score of 107, 94 came off 10 - 4s and 9 - 6s... man don waan run at all.

More seriously he topped the batting aggregate (511) with a minimum of two fewer innings (9) than those who finished in the top 15.

Highest average (85).

Most sixes (38) next man have 20!

Third and fifth highest scores. 107 and 102. Highest 120 by Valthaty.

The question is this; Gayle's team Bangalore could make the Champions league tournament. The winner of the Caribbean tournament also qualifies for that tournament... so if Gayle plays for JA (assuming he is eligible to play in the Caribbean T20) and JA wins and qualifies for that tournament, who would he represent? Bangalore or Jamaica?

[Skeng DX]

no only Trinidad alone going to dat CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TOURNAMENT

JAMAICA DIDNT QUALIFY

[Skeng DX]

Never seen Gayle play this well - Vettori

Never seen Gayle play this well - Vettori
Daniel Vettori speaks to reporters after Bangalore finished top of the league by beating Chennai (05:09)

SEE VID HERE ---------> http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-p...io/516298.html

[Skeng DX]

Bangalore favourite in fight for final

Big Picture

It began with a last-ball thriller, meandered in the middle, and ended with perhaps the most exciting match of the season. The IPL league phase is over, and though there were some spirited contenders, the four teams who looked strongest from the start are the ones that have progressed.

Amid the randomness of the prolonged qualification period Royal Challengers Bangalore have provided some stability. With eight wins in their previous nine games, they are undoubtedly favourites, a concept so vital to most sporting contests, but considered taboo in the IPL. They have earned the tag, and not just through the belligerence of Chris Gayle. S Aravind and Virat Kohli have been consistent, Daniel Vettori has been effective in his unassuming manner, Zaheer Khan has shown glimpses of his abilities and, perhaps, most importantly they've been relatively safe with their catching in a tournament plagued by poor fielding.

They beat Chennai in their last league game and a similar result in the first qualifier on Tuesday will ensure a berth in the final.

Chennai, though, have the opportunity to play some MS Dhoni-endorsed "fearless" cricket, knowing that the lifeline Kolkata's L Balaji and Mumbai's Ambati Rayudu combined to afford them on Sunday night is a sturdy one. Their second chance, should they need it, will be in Chennai, where they won all seven of their games in the group phase.

It will be interesting to see whether they take some risks to derail the Bangalore juggernaut; perhaps throw caution to the wind with the bat, or maybe put in some close fielders for the phenomenal Gayle.

Form guide

Bangalore: WLWWW (first on points table)
Chennai: LWWWL (second on points table)

Team talk

In three matches since Tillakaratne Dilshan's departure, Bangalore tried three different opening partners for Gayle, all without much success. The latest move, to push AB de Villiers up the order, was the boldest, as it clusters Bangalore's three best batsmen at the top, and leaves the middle order looking inexperienced.

If they do stick with de Villiers up the order, Luke Pomersbach is rather wasted as a fourth foreign player. They could replace him with either Asad Pathan or Arun Karthik, and bring in Charl Langeveldt, who took five wickets in the three chances he was given, in place of Abhimanyu Mithun. Vettori also suggested after the previous game that Bangalore may bring in spinner J Syed Mohammad in place of a batsman if the pitch looks like it will turn.

Chennai have not changed their XI in their previous four games, but may consider a couple of moves after the thrashing they were handed in Bangalore. Albie Morkel has not displayed the wicket-taking ability he did in the first half of the tournament, and with Chennai's batting line-up already long enough, Tim Southee is an option.

Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

S Badrinath has failed in his previous two innings. The last time Chennai played at the Wankhede Stadium, he was sublime during his 71 not out off 48 balls. In last year's semi-final, he was Chennai's top-scorer with 37.

AB de Villiers has had an ordinary second half of the season with the bat, but his talent is unquestionable. He likes being in the thick of the action, so won't mind opening the batting again.

Prime numbers

Daniel Vettori is by far the most economical bowler of this IPL season (five overs minimum). His 40 overs have gone at a rate of just 5.40 an over.
With five stumpings, MS Dhoni has the most such dismissals among the wicketkeepers in this IPL.
The chatter

"If you get Chris Gayle out and you've got a few [runs on the board], you have a chance; getting him out will be priority, number one."
Stephen Fleming, the Chennai coach, knows who Bangalore's main man is.

[Skeng DX]

‘starboy’ Chris Gayle

http://gleanerblogs.com/sports/?p=524

I don’t know what it is about Chris Gayle this season in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but whatever it is, he should try to bottle it and use it again and again until he retires. Whether it was unburdening himself of all the drama that is West Indies cricket or resolving that this is the end of his days playing for the Caribbean side or his home country, one thing is for certain; The Royal Challengers Bangalore must be counting their lucky stars for the day they signed him. They must also be thankful to the West Indies Cricket Board for their infernal bungling.
The IPL is in its fourth year and there have been challenges. Chief among them is the falling television ratings, a situation that could be linked to the fact that the novelty of the league is wearing off. On the bright side though, ticket sales have been on the rise and I am sure that Bangalore and the remarkable play of Gayle have been partly responsible.
The IPL features some of the best cricket talent in the world. Quality hard-hitting batsmen that include Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, AB DeVilliers, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Marsh, and Virender Sehwag and some of the world’s best bowlers like Brett Lee, Dale Steyn and Harbhajan Singh. And Gayle has outshone them all.
Tendulkar, widely regarded as the best batsman in the world, has played all of 14 matches, scored 477 runs at an average of 43.66. He has scored one century. Kallis, the backbone of South Africa and the Kolkata Knight Riders has also played 14 matches and scored 417 runs at an average of 37.90 and with a top score of 80 not out. Marsh has played 14 matches but batted 13 times and scored 504 runs with a top score of 95 and at an average of 42. These represent some pretty impressive statistics but Gayle has made all of them pale in comparison.
Lets start with the fact that Gayle has only played nine matches because he joined the league late. In those nine matches Gayle has scored 511 runs. Only once did he fail to score. A couple years ago Gayle became the first man to score an international Twenty20 century . This season he added to that record by being the first batsman to score two centuries in the same IPL season. He also has two 50s. He scored his 511 runs at a average of 85.16 runs per innings and at a strike rate of 187.17, by far the best strike rate in the IPL this season. His season’s average is at least 20 points better than the next best average.
What is remarkable he has destroyed all the bowlers that have challenged him smashing 47 fours and an incredible 38 sixes! The number of sixes he has hit is at least 18 more than any one of the top batsmen in the league this year and this is from at least four fewer matches played.
His remarkable play so far this season that has pushed Bangalore to the top of the standings and qualified them for the semi-final play offs, has prompted Bangalore captain New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori to remark that he has never seen Gayle play better. I would venture to say no one else, not even “the starboy” himself has either.

[Gamma]

M-O-N-E-Y ...... and trying to prove a point!