Daring Lions roar into finals

The Highvled Lions showed the guts its takes to go for glory at Kingsmead last night to reach the final of the Champions League T20.

Having totalled just 139/5, the Lions bowled and fielded like their predator namesakes to reduce the Delhi Daredevils to a reply of 117/9.

That earned Alviro Petersen's team victory by 22 runs, and a place in Sunday's final at the Wanderers.

Gulam Bodi scored his third half-century in five innings, an effort of 50 off 49 deliveries that kept him at the crease until the end of the 18th over - a sharp delivery from Udesh Yadav that a pulling Bodi gloved to wicketkeeper Naman Ojha.

The problem for the Lions on the night was that not enough of their batsmen could stay at the wicket with Bodi.

He and Petersen gave the Lions a solid start with their opening stand of 34.

But the Lions lost steam over the course of the next 34 balls, which cost them two more wickets and earned only 29 runs.

That thrust Neil McKenzie into the fray, and the runs began to flow. The stand had reached 59 off 42 balls when Bodi was dismissed. McKenzie stayed to clip 46 not out off 28 balls.

Virender Sehwag skied the third ball of Delhi's reply to mid-on irresponsibly, but David Warner - who replaced captain Mahela Jayawardene to play his first game of the tournament - stuck around until the sixth over for his 21.

But most of the Daredevils disappeared for single figures as the Lions roared with the flavour of disciplined bowling and scintillating catching.

Aaron Phangiso slammed the brakes on the batsmen and took 2/18, but the unplayable assassin was Chris Morris. His return of 2/7 was the second most miserly performance in the tournament.

Dirk Nannes, meanwhile, took a brilliant one-handed return catch to dismiss Ross Taylor.

The exception for Delhi was Kevin Pietersen, whose 50 held the innings together until the 17th over. He tried to pull a ball from Morris and sent a screamer to fine leg, where the chasing Thami Tsolekile flung himself into a courageous catch.

The Lions celebrated like they had already reached the final. A few magical minutes later, they did.