Blizzard, Malinga shine for Mumbai

CHENNAI, India (AP):

Australian opener Aiden Blizzard lashed 54 and Sri Lanka pace bowler Lasith Malinga took four for 20 as Mumbai Indians advanced to the final of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament with a 10-run victory over Somerset yesterday.

Left-handed Blizzard struck five fours and three sixes off 39 balls to give Mumbai a strong start to the semi-final on a slow wicket at Chidambaram Stadium.

Rajagopal Sathish (25 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (23 not out) smashed 43 off the final 22 deliveries to lift the Indian side to 160 for five after they won the toss and opted to bat.

Sri Lankan Malinga then took two wickets in his final over to restrict Somerset to 150 for seven in 20 overs.

Malinga was supported by New Zealand pace bowler James Franklin, who grabbed two wickets in three deliveries to finish with 2-16.

Malinga bowled opener Peter Trego without scoring and Roelof van der Merwe for 10 in his opening spell to put Mumbai in control. Craig Kieswetter led Somerset's fightback with 62 off 46 balls, sharing an 83-run, third-wicket partnership with James Hildreth (39).

However, Franklin bowled Jos Buttler (19) and then Keiswetter in quick succession, leaving Somerset chasing 22 off the final 12 balls.

Final over

In the final over, Malinga bowled Nick Compton for five and Murali Kartik without scoring in successive deliveries.

"We got to a total where we could defend," Mumbai skipper Harbhajan Singh said. "Malinga and Franklin were fantastic in the end."

Blizzard put on 43 for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu (19) but Mumbai lost three quick wickets in the space of 30 runs, including that of Blizzard, who was bowled by left-arm spinner Kartik.

Kieron Pollard struck a feisty 24 with two sixes but fell to pacer Alfonso Thomas before the team was lifted by Yadav and Sathish.