By IANS,
New Delhi: A dominant display by New South Wales Blues saw them crush Victoria Bushrangers by 79 runs in the first semi-final of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket at Ferozeshah Kotla stadium here Wednesday.
Chasing a challenging target of 170, Victoria Bushrangers finished at 90 for nine in 20 overs.
New South Wales will meet the winner of the second semi-final between Cape Cobras and Trinidad and Tobago in Hyderabad.
The match was billed as the clash between two staunch Australian rivals, but did not live upto the expectation as the Blues controlled the match right from the start.
Fans had came out in good number despite none of the Indian teams playing but would have gone home disappointed with the lopsided contest.
Electing to bat, the Blues got off to an explosive start from the openers David Warner (48) and Phillip Hughes (35) as they added 62 runs off 41 balls. Warner had been in terrific form in the tournament and came out all guns blazing. His 25-ball innings included seven fours and two sixes.
Simon Katich (26) and Daniel Smith (20) then made the most of the opening foundation to set a stiff target in the low and slow Kotla track.
Bushrangers batsmen fell like nine pins with the quality in Blues’ bowling attack coming through. Nathan Hauritz (2-25), Moises Henriques (3-11) and Brett Lee (2-15) all chipped in with the ball.
Blues skipper Katich made a smart move handing the new ball to spinner Hauritz in the second over and he obliged with the wicket of Rob Quiney.
Hauritz struck again in his next over, trapping Brad Hodge leg before. Aiden Blizzard was the next to go, dismissed by Brett Lee and Bushrangers were three down with just six runs on the board.
None of the Bushrangers batsmen showed any application to stay on the wicket and build a partnership.
David Hussey was the highest scorer with 16 runs and added 26 with Cameron White (11). But when Henriques removed both, it was all but over for Bushrangers.