RCB beat NSW to enter CLT20 final

Bangalore: Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli put on 141 runs for the third wicket, as Royal Challangers Bangalore (RCB) beat New South Wales by six wickets, in the first semi-final of the 2011 Champions League Twenty20 competition on Friday.
Chasing 204 for victory, RCB raced to victory with nine balls to spare as Mohammad Kaif hit leg-spinner Steve Smith for succesive boundaries.
While Gayle struck eight sixes and as many fours in his innings of 92 off 41 balls, Kohli scored an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls.
RCB now await the winners of the second semi-final between Mumbai Indians and Somerset on Saturday.
Earlier, David Warner slammed a whirlwind unbeaten century to power NSW to 203.

Warner (122 off 68) belted the RCB bowlers to all parts of the ground from the word go and together with Daniel Smith (62 off 42) shared a quickfire 146-run second wicket stand off just 87 balls to set the platform for the NSW total.
Warner, who scored an unbeaten 135 to set up a victory against Chennai Super Kings, was at his imperious self, hammering RCB's mediocre bowling. He hit six boundaries and as many as 11 sixes en route his 68-ball innings.
Warner was ably supported by Smith from the other end with seven fours and three huge hits over the fence.
Barring Tillakaratne Dilshan (1/10), none of the RCB bowlers could find their footing in front of the NSW batsmen, especially Warner.
Sreenath Aravind, who has been selected in the Indian squad for the first two ODIs against England, managed to pick up the other NSW wicket but not before yielding 55 runs from his four overs.

Contrary to the result, RCB's chase started on a disastrous note as they lost Tillakaratne Dilshan (4) early in the third over.
But then things turned around for the home team with Gayle and Kohli sharing a majestic 141 runs off just 66 balls for the second wicket to bring RCB to within touching distance of the victory.
But just when it seemed the duo would see RCB home without much trouble, Gayle and Saurabh Tiwary departed in consecutive balls.
While Gayle fell lbw to Cummins, Tiwary was clean bowled by the right-arm pacer in the very next ball.

To make matters worse for RCB, Mayank Agarwal followed suit, edging one to Smith in Cummins' next over to be reduced to 172 for four.
But then Mohammad Kaif joined hands with Kohli and the duo played sensibly to see RCB home with more than an over to spare.
Earlier, sent into bat, NSW did not have the best of starts as they lost Shane Watson (3) early in the third over with the scoreboard reading 17.
But, thereafter, Warner and Smith paired up and the duo sent the RCB bowlers on a leatherhunt to pile on the misery for the home team.
After Smith's dismissal, bowled by Aravind, Warner and Rohrer stitched an unbeaten 40 runs off just 17 balls for the third wicket.


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