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A packed Chinnaswamy Stadium was witness to a batting masterclass by Jean Paul Duminy who played a fascinating knock of 99 as his side defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore by 5 wickets in the opening match of the Champions League T20. It was just what the organisers would have hoped for as a high scoring thriller unfolded with the Royal Challengers Bangalore putting up a total of 180 runs in the first innings and the Cape Cobras chasing it down with two balls to spare.

The Royal Challengers paced their first innings well with some great hitting by Robin Uthappa and Ross Taylor who both scored half centuries and would've been sufficiently happy with their total. When Herschelle Gibbs went early for the Cobras, things looked even better for Kumble's team but they hadn't accounted for what was to come from JP Duminy. The South African played the perfect T20 innings, hitting some magnificent shots yet not taking too many risks. Even as wickets fell around him, Duminy kept the run rate where it needed to be so that they weren't left with a mammoth task at the end.

The evening had begun in spectacular fashion with an hour long opening ceremony that included a laser light display, performances by Shaggy and Jamelia and all the team captains parading around the ground. The atmosphere was electric and it certainly set the scene for what was to follow on the pitch. Kumble won the toss and elected to bat.

The Cape Cobras premier bowler Charl Langeveldt bowled a near perfect over to get things underway, allowing Bangalore's prolific openers only one run. Jacques Kallis got things going for the Royal Challengers in the next over with a sneaky little angled shot down to the third man boundary but, much to the disappointment of the home fans, that would be his first and only boundary. It was Langeveldt who got the better of his South African compatriot in the third over with a good full length delivery that caught the edge of the Kallis bat. Hushed silence filled the stadium as Bangalore's most dangerous batsman walked back to the pavilion having scored 8 runs. Robin Uthappa and next man in Rahul Dravid cheered up the crowds in no time, however, as they looked to make the most of the rest of the powerplay. The two had vastly contrasting styles with Uthappa looking to whack almost everything to the boundary while Dravid played his usually technically brilliant game which began with a beautiful straight drive for four off the second ball he faced. Uthappa lived dangerously and provided the Cobras with a number of chances including a crucial dropped catch in the 6th over. Charl Langeveldt made a valiant effort as he dove for the ball from mid-off but wasn't able to hold on and to make matters worse seemed to have injured his shoulder in the process.

At the end of the powerplay after the 6th over, Bangalore were in a strong position having lost just one wicket for 40 runs. Robin Uthappa continued to pile the pressure on the Cobras as he targeted slow left arm bowler Claude Henderson, hitting the spinner for two fours in his first over. The big Bangalorean looked like he had been given the license to go for everything as he hit two massive sixes off Zondeki to reach his half century off just 39 deliveries. It seemed like he would add another four runs to his kitty as he looked to slice one hard through point but Herschelle Gibbs had different plans as the South African veteran showed his reflexes are still sharp by plucking the ball out of midair to send Uthappa back to the pavilion. With a score of 51, Uthappa had done his job and Dravid took over his mantle hitting a massive six off the very next over. The senior statesman didn't last long, though, as he got run out soon after.

At the end of the 13th over, with the score at 97-3, the stage was set for a Ross Taylor masterclass. The Kiwi batsman took a couple of overs to get his eye in while Kohli did the bulk of the hitting, but when the youngster got stumped going for a big one in the 16th over, Taylor stepped on the accelerator. The barrage began with a lovely boundary over square leg off Justin Ontong and then a magnificent six and four off two consecutive balls in the next over. If that wasn't enough, Taylor saved his best for over 19 as a hapless Zondeki just watched as he was hit first for a four and then two enormous sixes. Taylor wasn't finished, though, and needing ten off the last over to make a half century, he got there in style whacking a four and then a six off the last two balls of the innings. That took Taylor to a blistering 53 off 24 balls and the Royal Challengers to a very defendable 180.

When Herschelle Gibbs happens to be one of the openers in your team, you know that as long as he's in the middle you're in with a chance no matter what the total, but when he gets out for a duck it's a completely different story. And unfortunately for the men from South Africa, it was the second scenario that transpired in the first over of their innings. Praveen Kumar was the happy bowler who bowled a beauty to pick up the edge of the explosive opener. Kumar picked up his second of the evening in his next over as an angled delivery took the leading edge of the Cobras captain Andrew Puttick and went into the waiting hands of Virat Kohli at point.

The Cobras were on 14-2 in the third over and were desperate for someone to hang around. JP Duminy, the Cobras other recognizable face, would need to do just that and he signalled his intent as he played his first ball down to the fine leg boundary. In the next over, Kallis was in for some punishment as no. 3 batsman Henry Davids capitalised on a juicy full length ball on the leg side, hitting the maximum over midwicket. JP Duminy followed suit a couple of balls later walking down the wicket and sending another one into the stands. Duminy was looking impressive and Davids was giving him good support as they kept the run rate above 7 an over. The pair negotiated an excellent first over from Anil Kumble and Davids looked to get stuck into Vinay Kumar at the other end, hitting the medium pacer for two consecutive fours but while attempting a third he ended up giving an easy catch to the point fieldsman.

Despite being three wickets down in just the eighth over Duminy remained unperturbed as the boundaries kept coming for the South African. In ten overs, the Cobras score was 82-3 and with Duminy looking set, the target was very much within reach. If the Royal Challengers thought that they might just have got the upper hand when Justin Ontong fell in the 13th over, they had another thing coming. Wicketkeeper Ryan Canning came in and played the perfect foil to Duminy, giving the set batsman maximum strike, and Duminy didn't disappoint. He treated Virat Kohli and Roelof van der Merwe with equal disdain, picking up boundaries and sixes through the leg side almost at will. With two overs to go, victory was in sight with the Cobras requiring 18 runs to win and the sublime Duminy on 82.

Praveen Kumar was thrown the ball and he delivered as Canning slashed wildly and sent one straight up in the air for captain Kumble to snaffle. But Duminy was still out there and he let no one forget it as he hit two fours in a row to take the target to 9 runs off the last over.25-year old Vinay Kumar was entrusted with the unenviable task of bowling that 20th over and there was a runout opportunity immediately as Kleinveldt scampered a desperate single to get Duminy on strike. It was sealed with the next delivery as the South African superstar sent the ball high into the stands. His team need two for victory and Duminy needed two for a fabulous century but heartbreakingly he only got a single and Kleinveldt had the honour of finishing off the chase.

It was a perfect opening match to the Champions League T20 with thrills and spills galore. Bangalore will have to regroup quickly before their must win game against the Otago Volts. The Cobras already have one foot in the door to the League stage and will be pretty confident after today's emphatic display.

Mini Scorecard:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 180/4 (20 overs 9rpo)
Taylor 53*              Langeveldt 1-12
Uthappa 51            Henderson 1-34

Cape Cobras 184/5 (19.4 overs 9.35rpo)
Duminy 99*          P Kumar 3-32
Davids 27             Van der Merwe 1-34

File Photograph Copyright: SJ Jagadeesh