Lions, Kings and Strikers in semis

Hamish Marshall of Leo Lions lofts the ball to the boundary during the MCL match against Libra Legends at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday. - Photo by M.Sajjad

Leo Lions upped the ante when it mattered the most to defeat bottom-placed Libra Legends by 11 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday night and enter the last four stage of the Oxigen Masters Champions League.
But the team to benefit from Leo Lions' win was Sagittarius Strikers who edged Capricorn Commanders on net run rate. Both teams finished on four points after Capricorn lost to Virgo Super Kings earlier in the day.
The semifinals to be played at the Dubai Cricket Stadium reads like this - Gemini Arabians will play Sagittarius on Thursday and Leo Lions will clash with Virgo Super Kings on Friday. Both matches will start at 7.30pm. The final will be held at the same venue on Saturday at 7.30pm.
Prior to the Leo Lions and Libra Legends match there were three teams vying for the two semifinal spots. Leo Lions not wanting their fate to be decided by run rate played aggressively from the start. Hamish Marshal and Neil Carter gave them a brisk start with a 48-run partnership.
Marshal clobbered three sixes and six fours for his 64 which came off 39 deliveries. Carter hit a run-a-ball 21.
Brendan Taylor helped himself to 26 before he was run out but James Franklin and Scott Styris rubbed further salt in the wounds of the winless Legends by striking sixes and fours at will in the slog overs.
Their 82-run partnership took the Lions to 201 for 3 with Styris unbeaten on 45 from 20 balls (fives sixes and 1 four) and Franklin unbeaten on 28 from 16 balls (two sixes and two fours).
With nothing to lose Libra Legends' Jacques Kallis and Michael Lumb threw their bats around but after a decent start three wickets fell in a heap.
Ryan ten Doeschate and Simon Katich gave them a glimmer of hope with a 59-run partnership but if Capricorn were to make the grade at the cost of Sagittarius then Libra Legends had to win the match by the 17th over. That looked highly unlikely after Katich too was out which left Doeschate fighting a losing cause although he did bring the team close with 67 from 36 balls (5x6, 3x4).
The fight was not over for Ian Butler who slammed 31 from 17 balls (two sixes and three fours) to bring his team to within striking distance but it was a case of too little too late.
clareto@khaleejtimes.com