Lions tamed by Sydney Sixers in Champions League Twenty20

THE HIGHVELD Lions’ matchwinning streak came to an abrupt end when they suffered a five-wicket defeat at the hands of the Australian outfit, the Sydney Sixers, in the Champions League Twenty20 Group B match at Newlands here yesterday.

It was the Lions’ first defeat in three matches and they will have to wait for their next match against Yorkshire tomorrow to nail down their semi-final berth.

The Sydney Sixers got off to a good start as Michael Lumb and Shane Watson added 60 runs in nine overs for the first-wicket. However, their charge was abruptly halted when spinner Aaron Phangiso was brought on and immediately captured the wickets of Lumb (22) and Dominic Thornely (0) in the eighth over Three overs later he claimed the all important wicket of Shane Watson (47), to leave the Sixers reeling on 73/4.

It was an inspirational spell by Phangiso (3/14 off his four overs, but Sixers skipper Brad Haddin restored the status quo with some big hitting that included three sixes and a four in his 32-run knock, which effectively put the side within a whisker of victory, and it eventually came with an over to spare at 141/5 off 19 overs.

Earlier, the Lions were sent into bat and Gulam Bodi anchored the innings for the greater part of the 20 overs, but he could only stand and watch as five batting partners returned to the dressing room.

The only partnersip of note dur- ing that period was one of 32 for the second-wicket with Quinton de Kock. The other partnership, which Lions’ scoreboard ticking over was a fifth-wicket stand of 29 between Bodi and Jean Symes.

However, Bodi's role came to an end one ball into the 18th over with his score on 61 (44 balls, 4x4s, 3x6s) and the total on 120/5. It was left to in-form Symes to step up the tempo, but he failed to come to the party and was dismissed five balls later to give Mitchell Starc his third scalp of the innings to finish with 3/19.