There was no nerve-jangling, last-ball finish today, like there was when New South Wales pipped Victoria twice to win last season's Big Bash. Instead, the Australian champions delivered a clinical performance on a difficult Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, one that ensured the first semi-final of the Champions League was one of the most one-sided matches of the tournament.
The other semi-final will be a clash of Caribbean flair versus South African utility. Trinidad & Tobago have without a doubt been the team to follow in the competition, blending an accomplished exuberance with a ballistic approach with the bat to stunning effect. Attempting to stop their four-win streak are the Cape Cobras, who topped their group by beating Bangalore and Otago and held their nerve to down Victoria on a dramatic day even as two key players opted out. They haven't been nearly as devastating as T&T, evening showing signs of susceptibility in their last game, but the Cobras are a quality side.
New South Wales 169 for 7 (Warner 48, McKay 3-27) beat Victoria 90 for 9 (Henriques 3-11)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Who to look out for in the second semi...
Adrian Barath and Navin Stuart: Both youngsters were thrown in against Eagles and came up trumps. In his first Twenty20 match, Barath announced himself with 63 from 41 balls, while Tobago-born Stewart slammed 33 from 11. Daren Ganga has not committed to saying whether these two would feature in the semi-final, but after outstanding performances it's going to be hard to keep them out.
Herschelle Gibbs: His form has been a major worry for the Cobras heading into this knock-out game: two first-ball ducks and 1 in three innings. But this is a big-game player we're talking about (remember the 2009 IPL final?) and Gibbs will be desperate to remind everyone of his skills while attempting to ensure another South African team doesn't stumble in the semi-final of a tournament. He has the backing of his captain, who called Gibbs the guy for the big occasion.
JP Duminy v Dave Mohammed and Sherwin Ganga: Mohammed and Sherwin Ganga haven't raked in the wickets - they have four and three respectively compared to Dwayne Bravo's ten but they have the lowest economy rates for their side. Sherwin Ganga was Man of the Match against Somerset and Mohammed has foxed a few batsmen with his bag of tricks. Duminy is a quality player of spin and the Cobras best batsman, so how he cracks the pair on a pitch not expected to turn much is going to be seminal in this contest.
Dwayne Bravo: At the end of the league stage, Bravo was the tournament's highest wicket-taker, with ten at an average of 11.70 and an economy rate of 7.31. Against Deccan he bowled one of the best final overs you're going to see in this format. He hasn't done much otherwise but his powerful brand of batting is perfectly suited to the Twenty20 format, and Thursday could be the day when it all comes together.
Source: Cricinfo
