Gayle lofts Bangalore to final

A great innings of 89 runs off 47 balls was bewildering and that forced Mumbai out of IPL !

Gayle smashed the hapless Mumbai bowlers in his inimitable style. A mammoth score of 185/4 was posted, despite a quiver at the last stage of the innings, after inserted into bat by Sachin. Chasing, Mumbai were 83/5 but then recovered to 142/8, but that was not enough !

Sachin promised much, but perished at 40 and Mumbai panicked and the lost the match after his dismissal. Sachin hit Aravind for two fours across cover and over square leg and Mumbai moved to 20/2 in two overs.

Gayle took over the bowling and the West Indian frustrated Blizzard with his subtle offbreaks. Blizzard was out to Aravind, when he tried to loft one over long on. Bajji was promoted as a pinch hitter and he smashed a six and two fours in his 13 but perished trying to hit Aravind over mid wicket.

Sachin hit Aravind for fours and then hit Vettori to long on four but the spinner Syed had him stumped gloriously. Rohit Sharma (13) disappointed by holing out to Pomersbach. Rayudu was out for a blob, trapped lbw on his first ball. Keiron Pollard was caught by Mithun and Mumbai were in the doldrums at 89/6. Franklin ( 16) and Malinga (7) couldnt do much as the match went the way of Bangalore. Sachin's tactic to open the bowling with Nechim backfired, as Gayle smashed 27 runs of the rookie. This over became the costliest first over in IPL history. In just 3.2 overs, Bangalore crossed 50, thanks mainly to Gayle. Agarwal, Gayle's partner, also played his shots and Mumbai was left gasping. Sachin had to take the strategic timeout after six overs, when Bangalore were 68 without loss.

Gayle's fifty came up in 27 balls and Bangalore brought their hundred in just ten overs. Pollard broke the opening partnership, which had fetched 113 runs for mighty Bangalore.

Agarwal was taken by Pollard when the score was 113. No respite for Mumbai continued as Gayle blasted three sixes in the space of four balls in the 13th and 14th over. Gayle smashed his colleague Pollard over long on in the last ball of the 13th over and then hammered Bajji over deep midwicket in consecutive balls, as Bangalore reached 145/1. At 89, Gayle tried to loft Munaf and was caught at the fence by Franklin. Nechim dismissed Kohli in the 16th over and Villiers ( 21) and Tiwari ( 8) took Bangalore to near the double hundred mark.