WG vs AL

So that it is from this encounter of the 2nd edition of Legends League Cricket. The Asia Lions will now meet the India Maharajas in the eliminator clash on Saturday. The winner of that encounter will face the World Giants in the final on Sunday. Keep following Sportskeeda for all sporting actions but for now, this is all we have from the commentary box. This is me, Arya Sekhar Chakraborty bidding you goodbye. Ta-ta and take care. 

Shane Watson (World Giants captain): I thought on that wicket 130 was part but to get 150 was a really good total, especially with the bowing we have. Mpofu has been bowling brilliantly, Tino Best is providing a lot of energy from there. Tino gives us the firepower we need. There is plenty of energy on the field today so that we can recover before the final. It’s very special to be out there and I feel very privileged to be part of the tournament. Hoping to spend some quality time with some of the legends for the next three days.

Shahid Afridi (Asia Lions captain): Jack Kallis and Hashim Amla both are legends of the game. they batted according to the conditions. On a pitch like this yo cant go with pace. You have to use your variations which was very difficult to pick. Surely against India we will come back with a positive frame of mind. Amir is a class bowler and he knows what to do best.  

Hashim Amla is the Legend of the Match: I am glad that it looked that way but it didn’t feel that way. Glad that Kallis batted the way he did and he deserved the award. Good to get to a competitive score. The wicket was tough but once we got the momentum going, we managed to score freely and eventually got enough runs.

World Giants won by 20 runs

World Giants 150/3 in 20 overs

Hashim Amla 68(59) | Jacques Kallis 56*(43)
Sohail Tanvir 1/31(4) | Mohammad Amir 1/32(4)

Asia Lions 130 all-out in 19.1 overs

Tillekeratne Dilshan 37(28) | Shahid Afridi 26(18)
Christopher Mpofu 3/16(4) | Tino Best 3/20(4)


What an incredible win for the World Giants as they qualify straight to the final with a reasonably comfortable victory by 10 runs. The Asia Lions will now meet the India Maharajas in the eliminator clash while the Giants will get three days off before the final on Sunday. The match was fairly equal for the most part but towards the last few overs, the Giants spinners were quite fantastic and restricted them on a spin-friendly surface. 

The run chase began with Tillekeratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga taking their time. Dilshan got off to a great start courtesy of a few boundaries early but lost his partner Tharanga early. Thisara Perera came out with positive intent and had to depart after smashing a couple of lusty blows. Tino Best bowled brilliantly in the middle overs and got the prized wicket of Dilshan besides also bagging Perera. 

Shahid Afridi helped the Asia Lions claw their way back into the game with a quickfire 26 off just 18 deliveries but his departure proved to be the final nail in the coffin as they could never really recover from that and kept losing wickets on a consistent basis. Christopher Mpofu was incredible with his slower deliveries and was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets to his name. 

19.1 Tino Best to Abdul Razzaq, WICKET! In the air and taken. The World Giants have pulled off an incredible win here. Razzaq makes some room and tries to lift this over the mid-off fielder. Was an off pace delivery that gripped on the surface and Razzaq only managed to chip that as far as the mid-off fielder. 

18.6 Christopher Mpofu to Isuru Udana, WICKET! Mpofu deserved another wicket. Amazing bowling from Mpofu, was the cutter again, on the surface a shade outside off, Udana again with a mighty heave across the line, way too early into the shot and it dips onto the off-stump. 

18.5 Christopher Mpofu to Isuru Udana, slower short of a length delivery a shade outside off, Udana again with a mighty swipe across the but way too early into the shot and gets beaten. 

18.4 Christopher Mpofu to Isuru Udana, again a slower ball on the surface, a shade outside off which spins back into Udana, gets beaten all ends up. 

18.3 Christopher Mpofu to Abdul Razzaq, again an off-cutter on the surface, swung away across the line from the inside half of the bat down towards the deep square leg region and takes a single. 

18.2 Christopher Mpofu to Abdul Razzaq, again a slower delivery on the surface, well wide outside off and Razzaq was way too early into the attempted swipe across the line and gets beaten. 

18.1 Christopher Mpofu to Paras Khadka, WICKET! Brilliant composure from Mpofu and he hist the bullseye. On a length around the off-stump channel, Khadka swings across the line, gets an inside edge onto his pads and sets off for a single. Mpofu gets there quickly and hurls a direct throw with Paras Khadka well short of his crease.