Chennai, Oct 1 (IANS) Stuart Clark, who has taken his share of knocks, believes that his team, the New South Wales Blues, can yet go all the way in the Champions League T20 tournament provided they build on the starts and adhere to the basics.
At present on two points after as many outings, the Blues will take on Group A leaders Mumbai Indians Sunday and need a win to remain in contention for the semi-finals.
In both their group matches so far, NSW openers David Warner and Shane Watson have thrown away their wickets after getting starts, following which the Australian side struggled in the middle overs.
‘The game is what it is. You got to get one more run than the opposition and the wicket isn’t conducive to batting all the time,’ Clark said.
‘So, from a batting point of view, we would have liked to see them (the openers Warner and Watson) get a few more runs and some of the guys to go on and make a big score of 70 or 80 or something like that.’
‘But you could also say that they are probably due a big score and win us a couple of games,’ said Clark at a pre-match media conference here Saturday.
‘Someone like David Warner or Shane Watson, both made more than 30 in either game, but threw their wicket away. If one of them goes on, then we will probably win the game.
‘I think it is a question of them taking control of the game and taking the game away from them. If we get to a run a ball, we can win the game quite easily,’ Clark said.
‘They are working hard on it and they both are aware of that. It is only a matter of time before one or both of them come off and we win quite convincingly,’ he opined.
The Blues’ only win thus far was against the Trinidad and Tobago whom they beat in the Super Over following a tie, and Clark said it was important to learn lessons from that game.
‘You have got to keep the strike rotating in Twenty20. Lot of people get carried away with hitting fours and sixes, but the real crunch part of the game is making sure you score off every ball and keeping that amount down to a minimum.’
‘We have learned from the T and T game, and I suppose we were lucky since Moises (Henriques) had such a good finish to that game. We were well and truly out of it. The guys at the top of the order can make it easy for the guys in the middle order by getting the runs needed to a run a ball,’ said Clark.
