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Champions League, Bangalore: Cape Cobras 184-5 beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 180-4 by five wickets
Match scorecard (cricinfo)
Duminy was in top form, hitting five sixes into the night sky in Bangalore
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A brilliant innings from JP Duminy gave Cape Cobras victory in the inaugural match of cricket's Champions League. The South Africans stunned Bangalore's Royal Challengers, playing at their home Chinnaswamy Stadium, and the supporters who packed out the ground. Kiwi import Ross Taylor's 24-ball smash-and-grab of 53 not out had given the home side a fine total of 180-4. But Duminy smashed an unbeaten 99 off just 52 balls as the Cobras won by five wickets with two balls remaining. The vast majority of the crowd in India may not have got the result they wanted - but they did see an extravaganza of strobe and laser-lit singing by Chaka Khan, Jamelia and Shaggy before the match. Bangalore looked on track to successfully defend their total when the South African side's star batsman Herschelle Gibbs fell for a first-ball duck in Praveen Kumar's first over. When Roelof van der Merwe, one of three South Africans in the Bangalore side, removed Justin Ontong to leave the Cobras needing 74 from the last seven overs, Bangalore remained in good shape.
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606: DEBATE
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But they could not shift Duminy, who gradually brought the equation down until, with 18 wanted off the last 12 balls, the pressure returned to the home team. Duminy clubbed two boundaries off van der Merwe and a six over long on off Vinay Kumar. A scampered single left him one short of his century as Rory Kleinveldt drove the winning boundary through the covers. Twelve teams from around the world have qualified for the Champions League, the first global club tournament, on the back of strong performances in various domestic Twenty20 tournaments. England's entrants are Sussex and Somerset, who enter the tournament at the weekend. A prize fund of £3.7m is at stake, with £1.5m going to the winners.
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