Southern Express vs. Lahore Lions: CLT20 Date, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

Lahore Lions require a resounding victory over inexperienced Sri Lankan outfit Southern Express to retain hope of making it to the main group stages of the Champions League T20 competition, as the final round of qualifying matches take place.

Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur

Dates: Tuesday, September 16

Start time: 11:30 a.m. BST (4:00 p.m. local time)

TV and live stream: STAR Cricket (India), Ten Sports/PTV Sports (Pakistan), SuperSport (South Africa), Eurosport (UK/Europe), SkyTV(New Zealand), Network Ten/Fox (Australia), CSN/Star Cricket (Sri Lanka), Star Cricket (Bangladesh), ESPN (USA and Caribbean), Willow Cricket (USA)

Weather: According to AccuWeather.com sun and cloud will be interspersed with a likelihood of thunderstorms. There could be interruptions but this should not stop the game from reaching completion.

Overview

With Northern Knights currently topping the group with two wins from two, the best Lahore Lions can hope for is to beat Southern Express and hope that Mumbai Indians fail to secure the victory in Tuesday afternoon's clash that would produce a three-way tie to be decided on net run-rate.

Unfortunately for the Lions, their crushing 72 run defeat to the Knights means that the latter scenario is unlikely to favour them. Their humiliating capitulation to some inspired new-ball bowling from Kiwi duo Trent Boult and Tim Southee put them on the back foot in this regard.

"

All over! 98 all out for Lahore Lions. They lose by 72 runs. A humiliation today. Lions yesterday, Cats today #NKvLIO #Cricket #CLT20

— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) September 14, 2014"

In their favour is the opposition: While Mumbai Indians face a tough assignment against the table-toppers from New Zealand, Lahore Lions will fancy their chances of piling the pressure onto the Indians with victory against an inexperienced Southern Express side shorn of star players Lasith Malinga and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

The Sri Lankans came into this tournament with just three games together in their brief history after the cancellation of the Sri Lankan Premier League and two of the five fixtures in the tournament that determined qualification to the CLT20.

The Express were far from embarrassed on their tournament debut, making a promising 92/5 in a reduced ten-over game against Northern Knights, but they wilted in the face of an assault from Kane Williamson that laid the platform for victory with three balls to spare.

In their second game, a must-win for both sides, Southern Express posted a target of 161 against Mumbai Indians that never felt like enough, and so it proved as the experience and international pedigree of the IPL side shone through. Mike Hussey and Lendl Simmons blitzed 139 inside 15 overs to effectively seal the outcome.

"

Southern Express won only two matches to win their 'hastily arranged' domestic T20 championship...unfair to expect any miracles in CLT20 too

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) September 15, 2014"

Lahore Lions have at least tasted victory in this edition of the CLT20, keeping the explosive Mumbai Indians batsmen quiet and chasing down their target of 136 with relative ease thanks to Umar Akmal's blistering 38 not out from just 18 deliveries.

What will linger more clearly in the memory, however, is the aforementioned defeat in the second game. Things started well enough, but inroads into the Knights top order were undermined by a highly effective partnership between skipper Daniel Flynn and keeper BJ Watling, who made 53 runs each and shared a partnership of 90 runs in just under 10 overs to give the innings impetus.

Only Saad Nasim can be exonerated from blame in the sorry response from Lahore, making an impressive 58 from 40 balls as his team-mates collapsed around him, with nobody else making double figures in their slide to 98 all out.

Victory here will give Lahore a fighting chance, and the Lions batsmen must drag themselves out of the mire and make hay against a Southern Express attack that will be low on confidence themselves after their mauling by the Mumbai Indians top order.

The experience of Mohammad Hafeez and Umar Akmal may well be key in steering the Lions back into contention for qualification to the main group stage. The Lions will be hoping for as comprehensive a victory as possible to enhance their net run-rate, but realistically they know that their fortune is hostage to the game that follows.

Victory for Lahore would mean that if Northern Knights can maintain their perfect start with a third victory over sub-continental opposition, the Pakistani side would progress at the expense of the Mumbai Indians side that won this tournament last year.

Southern Express are most likely playing for pride. Though an unlikely victory coupled with a win for Northern Knights would put them level on points with both Mumbai and Lahore, their heavy defeat to the former in their second fixture puts them at a distinct disadvantage in such a scenario.

"

A reminder, #SE are not technically eliminated yet. If they thrash the #LIO and #NK trash #MI they could sneak through. But won’t. #CLT20

— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) September 14, 2014"

Key players 

Southern Express

Though inexperienced with fewer than 100 professional games under his belt and just 25 T20s, young opener Danushka Gunathilaka has shown flashes of talent in both games. Facing experienced new-ball pair Boult and Southee in their reduced 10 over innings in the opener against the Knights he struck a brisk 39 from 26 balls including the only three sixes of the innings.

Gunathilaka followed this with another positive contribution at the start of the Express innings versus Mumbai Indians, making 30 from 23 balls before rather throwing his wicket away. His clean hitting and positive strike-rate make him a danger at the top of the order, and if he can keep his wicket intact into the second half of the innings he could be the key to Southern Express posting a match-winning total.

Lahore Lions

Though seamer Aizaz Cheema has impressed with five wickets and a respectable economy rate, the batting is of greater concern after the debacle in the last game versus Northern Knights. Umar Akmal has the class, experience and power to be a match-winner in this crunch game for Lahore Lions.

In their opening win it was his belligerent 38 not out from 18 balls that tilted the tie in their favour. Furthermore, he is no stranger to the biggest stages, having thrashed Australia all over Dhaka on his way to 94 from just 54 deliveries in the World T20 earlier this year to help his side bounce back from defeat to India.

If he hits his stride early on, he could help the Lions bounce back from a dispiriting defeat of their own and prove the difference between the two sides.

Squads

Southern Express

Jehan Mubarak (capt), Kusal Janith Perera (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka , Angelo Perera, Niroshan Dickwella, Dilruwan Perera, Prasanna Seekkuge, Ishan Jayaratne, Farveez Maharoof, Kasun Madushanka, Yasoda Lanka, Charith Jayampathi, Sachith Pathirana, Sandaken Lakshen.

Lahore Lions

Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Siddiq, Umar Akmal (wk), Nasir Jamshed, Salman Ali, Asif Raza, Mustafa Iqbal, Wahab Riaz, Aizaz Cheema, Imran Ali, Saad Nasim, Adnan Rasool, Mohammad Saeed, Ali Manzoor.