Very little to choose between the sides by Asher Wilson

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Scorecard:	Chennai Super Kings v Sydney Sixers
Event:	Champions League 2012/13

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DateLine: 14th October 2012

 

Chennai Super Kings vs the Sydney Sixers
Match Preview
Champions League 2012

 

The first of Sunday’s matches in the Champions League T20 sees the Chennai Super Kings take on the Sydney Sixers at The Wanderers.

 

The familiar yellow of the Super Kings will be on view and they bring all their big guns to the tournament with MS Dhoni skippering a squad packed with Indian talent including Raina, Ashwin and Jadeja. They weren’t at their best in the early stages of the IPL this year and looked to be heading out before the semi finals but they put a late run together and eventually finished runners up after losing the final on home soil to Kolkata. They can’t afford to peak slowly in this much shorter tournament but they will be helped by Albie Morkel and Faf du Plessis who know the conditions here all too well. The Super Kings won this tournament in 2010 when it was also hosted in South Africa and the bulk of that triumphant squad remain with the franchise in their bid to regain the Champions League crown. However, they were a big let down in this tournament last year, winning just one and losing the three of their four group matches.

 

The Sydney Sixers were born out of the New South Wales Blues who won this tournament in 2009. The Sixers arrive here as Australian domestic T20 champions having won the Big Bash earlier this year. Brad Haddin is the skipper but most eyes will be on Shane Watson who was player of the tournament in the recent World Twenty20. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins led the Australian attack in the WT20 alongside Watson in Sri Lanka and they also have Steven Smith in the squad.

 

Strictly speaking these sides have never met although the Super Kings did lose to New South Wales Blues back in the 2009 tournament before the Blues were broken up and two NSW / Sydney franchises were formed.

 

As far as this match is concerned, there is likely to be very little to choose between the sides but even if you don’t have a firm opinion as to who will win the game, it will be a close contest.

 

The Sixers bowling attack looks really dangerous with three front line bowlers playing a big part in Australia’s impressive start to the World T20. The trump card though is Shane Watson’s batting and on the back of his recent display’s in Sri Lanka, he might just line up the Super Kings for some punishment here.

 

Chennai Super Kings team: MEK Hussey, MS Dhoni, SK Raina, S Badrinath, JA Morkel, WP Saha, DE Bollinger, BJ Hilfenhaus, M Vijay, RA Jadeja, DJ Bravo, R Ashwin, VY Mahesh, S Anirudha, Faf du Plessis

 

Sydney Sixers team: PJ Cummins, BJ Haddin, JR Hazlewood, MC Henriques, MJ Lumb, NL McCullum, NJ Maddinson, IA Moran, PM Nevill, SNJ O'Keefe, BJ Rohrer, SPD Smith, MA Starc, DJ Thornely, SR Watson

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
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