Punjab remain perfect in CLT20

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The Kings XI Punjab have maintained their perfect record in the Oppo Champions League Twenty20 with a comfortable seven-wicket win over South African outfit Cape Cobras.

Punjab’s powerful batting line-up made light work of the modest target, tracking down the required 136 with 11 balls to spare.

The victory sees George Bailey’s men finish atop Group B and they will now play either fellow Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings or Pakistan’s Lahore Lions in the semi-final.

The match turned out to be a dead rubber after KFC T20 Big Bash League club Hobart Hurricanes secured the second semi-final spot in the group earlier that day by beating Caribbean Premier League side, Barbados Tridents, by six wickets.

In a match where fireworks were scarce, Proteas Test skipper Hashim Amla provided the highlight of the night by hitting five consecutive boundaries off Punjab seam bowler Thisara Perera.

Amla whipped Perera from well outside off-stump through square-leg to begin the avalanche, followed by a wide slash to third man, a leading-edge past a scurrying mid-off, and an aerial pull shot over wide long-on, before putting the icing on the cake with an imperious drive on the up through cover.

But when Amla fell two overs later the Cobras collapsed, losing 10 for 95 in 12 overs to finish on 135 with nine balls remaining in their innings. 

Punjab’s run chase was smooth sailing until allrounder Glenn Maxwell ‘abused’ a dustbin in the player dugout after he was dismissed by off-spinner Sybrand Engelbrecht for 23 off 19 balls.

Maxwell later apologised on Twitter for his reckless behaviour, claiming he’d spoken to the victim and that the pair were ‘on good terms’.