Centurion (South Africa), Sept. 12: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) began their Champions League T20 campaign with a bang, beating Guyana by nine wickets in a one-sided clash at Centurion on Sunday.
Chasing a victory target of 104, the Bangalore side rode on quality knocks from South African veteran Jacques Kallis (43 n.o) and Rahul Dravid (33). Robin Uthappa too chipped in with a handy 25 towards the end.
In the other match, Michael Klinger gatecrashed a South African party at the Champions League Twenty20 tournament on Sunday and led South Australia Redbacks to a 11-run victory over Highveld Lions.
Skipper Klinger and Callum Ferguson added 97 runs for the third wicket as the slow-starting Redbacks finished with a run flourish to amass 178-6 off 20 overs before a large crowd at sun-drenched SuperSport Park.
Lions, shock conquerors of Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians in the first match on Friday, lost opener Jonathan Vandiar just four balls into the innings and only captain Alviro Petersen passed 50 in a 167-8 tally.
The party-pooping Redbacks halted a good start by South African franchises in the 16-day extravaganza with Eastern Cape Warriors proving far too strong for Wayamba Elevens of Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Opener Klinger struck 78 off 48 balls, including five sixes and six fours, before a flat, back-foot strike aimed at long-on was spectacularly caught by Petersen just short of the boundary rope.
Brief scores: Guyana 103 (Barnwell 30, Chattergoon 18; Kallis 3/16, P. Kumar 2/22) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 106 for 1 in 12.2 overs (Kallis 43 n.o., Dravid 33, Uthappa 25 n.o.).
Redbacks 178/7 (Klinger 78, Ferguson 47) bt Lions 167/8 (Petersen 56, Tait 3/36).