Royal Challengers secure semi-final spot

The star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) with a thrilling six-wicket victory over the Highveld Lions at the Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Chasing a target of 160, Bangalore, playing without Jacques Kallis, did it comfortably in the end, with an over to spare.

The Lions won the toss and chose to bat. After losing two wickets off successive deliveries by Vinay Kumar in the fourth over, they appeared to be heading for a massive total as Alviro Petersen and Vaughn van Jaarsveld smashed 44 off 29 for the third wicket. However, when Van Jaarsveld slipped while trying for a risky second run, and was run out by Dillon du Preez and Dale Steyn for 24, the home side?s fortunes began to change. Dale Steyn and Anil Kumble (4-0-13-1) stifled the Lions? run chase in the middle overs, and at one stage they appeared unlikely to make even 150. Petersen was bowled by Kumble for 45 with the score on 100, and Neil McKenzie was run out by man of the match Virat Kohli for 39. However, the Lions smashed 15 runs off the last over, bowled by Du Preez to take the score to 159 for six.

Bangalore started their run chase at a fairly sedate rate, but Manish Pandey and Rahul Dravid set them on their way with a first wicket partnership of 53 before Dravid was bowled by Aaron Phangiso for 38 in the eight over. Pandey was next to go, caught by Ethan O?Reilly off Richard Cameron for 44.

This brought big-hitting New Zealander Ross Taylor to the crease, and there were sighs of relief when he went cheaply, caught by Petersen off Cliffie Deacon for just five runs. Deacon and Cameron combined to run out Robin Utappa for seven, but Kohli (49) and Cameron White (19) took Bangalore safely home. Nineteen runs off the 17th over, bowled by Deacon, including two massive sixes and a four from Kohli, put paid to any chance the Lions might have had. The 18th over went for 11 and Zander De Bruyn bowled the 19th over, and went for 13 runs, taking Bangalore to victory.

The loss will have been a huge disappointment for the Lions, but they will have learnt a great deal from playing against some of the world's best players.

"This is a very young side, and they gained invaluable experience," said coach Dave Nosworthy. "They will be able to kick on from here and grow from strength to strength."

Their semi-final opponents still have to be decided, with three Group A teams - the Victoria Bushrangers, the Chennai Super Kings and the Warriors - all in contention. Victoria have played all their matches, and Chennai and the Warriors play another virtual quarter-final at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday.