26 May 2014

Anderson sends Mumbai into IPL playoffs

7:00 am on 26 May 2014

The Black Caps cricketer Corey Anderson has finally lived up to his 900,000 dollar price tag in the Indian Premier League, the big New Zealander blasting Mumbai to a 5 wicket victory over Rajasthan and into the playoffs.

Anderson, who'd been a flop all competition, produced one of the knocks of the season, striking 95 runs off just 44 balls including 9 fours and 6 sixes in his man of the match performance.

Mumbai, chasing 190 to win, needed to reach the target within 14.3 of their 20 overs to qualify for the playoffs by virtue of net run rate.

They managed the feat on the very last ball possible, Aditya Tare smashing a six to claim the victory and lift Mumbai to 195 off 14.3 overs and into the finals.

Fellow Black Cap Jimmy Neesham not faring so well, the New Zealand all-rounder made just 12 runs with the bat and was belted for 14 runs off his one over with the ball as Delhi fell to a 7 wicket loss to Punjab in Mohali in their final match of the season.

The defeat was Delhi's ninth in a row with the side failing to win any of the matches they played in India this season.

Anderson's Mumbai will face Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum's Chennai in the 3rd and 4th place eliminator on Thursday with the winner to play the loser of Wednesday's semi-final between Punjab and Kolkata for a place in next Monday's IPL final.