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Match facts
Eagles Vs Somerset
Friday October 16Start time 16.00 (10.30 GMT)
The Eagles and Somerset went in opposite directions after their opening games in the competition, but here they are in the second stage, owing to nerves of steel and some luck respectively. The stakes have been raised in this round of the Champions League: luck will take a back seat and the nerves will need tightening.
The Eagles have the momentum - crucial in the Twenty20 format - given their remarkable qualifying win. After a limp showing against New South Wales, the Eagles qualified for the league stage in sensational style, knocking out Sussex in a one-over eliminator after their match in Delhi ended in a tie. They are a side shorn of flashy names but showed against Sussex that when push comes to shove they can be a force to reckon with. Their top order - namely Boeta Dippenaar and Morne van Wyk, internationals both whom they rely heavy on - has not been producing starts but their strength has been the ability of their medium-pacers to consistently hit the blockhole during the final overs. The bowlers haven't leaked runs and the fielding has been very impressive, but Eages would like their most experienced Twenty20 bowler to put his hand up. Ryan McLaren has tasted success at home and in England but is yet to take a wicket in the tournament.
Somerset beat Deccan Chargersin their opening match before losing to Trinidad & Tobago, which means they will carry no points into the second round. But a bigger worry for them will be the sudden departure of Marcus Trescothick from India, after a recurrence of his stress-related illness. The runners-up in England's Twenty20 Cup now carry forward their county and country's hopes in the competition, and without Trescothick, who amassed 1817 first-class runs at 75.00 in the county season, the going will expectedly get tougher. And first up, is the side responsible for ousting Sussex. Their strengths lie with captain-opener Justin Langer, and a canny seam attack featuring Charl Willoughby, Peter Trego and Alfonso Thomas. The common feature in both their games was a weak performance from the middle order; Somerset lack the presence of an enforcer in the lower-middle order, someone who can seriously do damage towards the latter half of the innings.
Neither side will carry points over from the first round so it is imperative that they win and win big. This tournament has shown on several occasions that more than firepower from big names, success has been scripted by lesser names putting their hands up and performing almost every time they have been asked to. This could be the deciding factor for both teams.
Watch out for...
CJ de Villiers took two wickets in two balls as the Eagles beat Sussex on a Super Over at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Tuesday. The Eagles scored nine in their over, after which de Villiers held his nerve to bowl Dwayne Smith and Rory Hamilton-Brown in successive deliveries. Those two strikes ensured de Villiers took the limelight, but he had played a crucial role earlier in the afternoon, taking 2 for 20 to keep Sussex to 119.
Rilee Rossouw is talked about as one to watch out for in South African cricket, but until Tuesday fans in the subcontinent may have been wondering what the heck for. Rossouw's previous highest score in eight Twenty20 matches was just 11. But the 20-year-old opener took an opportune moment to showcase his skills, with Eagles needing to win to progress: he slammed 65 off 62 balls, with six fours and two sixes, picking up the Man-of-the-Match award. No doubt spurred on by that blaze of glory, Roussow now takes guard needing to provide further sparks to keep Eagles going.
After Somerset lost in Bangalore, their captain Justin Langer praised a "brilliant" Trinidad & Tobago and hoped they would dish out similar treatment to Deccan. They did, and Langer now has a chance to make an impression. In two matches he has failed to contribute as opener, but with the pressure turned up you can often rely on an Australian to deliver. Langer is a champion, and champions make the difference between winning and losing.
Craig Keiswetter's sporting hero is his fellow team-mate Marcus Trescothick, but with the former England opener not clicking so far, Somerset need runs from their wicketkeeper. Kieswetter, who has been tipped by many to be one of the emerging talents from the tournament, can hit a long ball and has turned a few matches Somerset's way in Twenty20s back home. With the stakes raised in the league stage and Somerset's top order not firing, the time has come for Kieswetter to deliver.
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Match facts
Trinidad Vs New South Wales
Friday October 16Start time 20.00 (14.30 GMT)
Bi picture
The table headers from two groups, New South Wales and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), get a head start in their league stage campaign, having secured carry-forward points from the opening round. Unlike the popular game show Who's Line Is It Anyway, these points do matter.New South Wales look the strongest team of the tournament, on paper, and in their performances so far, they have lived up to that billing. They didn't have the best of conditions at the Feroz Shah Kotla, but their top order showed good application in both games. More importantly, they judged the pitch well and gauged what a good target was. A score of 144 was more than enough for the Eagles, who fell short by 53 runs. They had to work even harder to grind out 130 against Sussex, but for the second game in succession, their bowlers managed to restrict the opposition to a score below 100. The top order looks in fine shape, with Simon Katich, Phillip Hughes and Moises Henriques in good nick - the lower order hasn't even been tested so far. In Delhi, the batsmen played a lot of horizontal bat shots which were often mistimed because the ball didn't always come on to the bat. They will prefer the conditions In Hyderabad.
Their opponents, T&T, have been more attractive and daring to watch. After trampling over Somerset, they ousted Deccan Chargers in front of their home crowd in a much closer contest in Hyderabad. They have played like they are out there to enjoy themselves and it has come out in the fearlessness of their strokeplay, ability to break partnerships and enthusiasm in the field: like Kieron Pollard's athletic catch in the deep to get rid of Adam Gilchrist, a turning point in the Deccan match. Their prior exposure at the venue gives them an advantage. But they will still be tested by a world-class bowling attack.
Watch out for...
Dwayne Bravo: The most celebrated cricketer in the T&T line-up has been a roaring hit with the ball, taking 4 for 23 to sink Somerset in Bangalore and three more against Deccan. In both games, he did not concede more than six an over. The second game was more noteworthy because it was anybody's game before the final over, with Deccan needing eight. Bravo held his nerve, landed it on the blockhole, took two wickets and conceded only four runs.
Moises Henriques will be Bravo's direct counterpart. The allrounder has featured prominently in both of NSW's games, coming in at No.4 and bowling economically while picking up five wickets. He infused life with some big hits, chipping down the track to take on the bowling. On the slow pitches, he certainly looked more at home than the rest.
Denesh Ramdin and Kieron Pollard: T&T will count on this pair to give the innings a push in the middle overs. Ramdin made a run-a-ball 39 to lift the team to 150 against Somerset and Pollard's 14-ball 31 was the most crucial contribution in their win against Deccan. While Ramdin is good at nudging the singles, Pollard can be counted upon for the big hits.
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