I don’t follow local Australian cricket. The only time I remember two Australian teams playing against each other was when the Australians decided to field two teams in the World Series Cup (Australia and Australia A) way back in the mid-1990s. That was a very short-lived experiment.

So this time, I was hoping for a good match between the two teams, but it didn’t prove to be so. New South Wales cranked up 169/7 on a tricky pitch and the Victoria response was over by the time they struggled to 12/3 after 5 overs. It was a surprising move to bring Hauritz on very early, but he did the trick getting two wickets in the first over.

It will be good if Trinidad and Tobago win their match tomorrow and have a re-match against NSW. The last match between the two sides was a stunner, as T&T looked dead until an astonishing 18-ball 54 from Kieron Pollard did the Australian side in. I just hope that they have a good pitch for the last match.

It is interesting how you start forming loyalties once the tournament progresses. At the beginning of this Champions League, I had no idea about any team other than the IPL ones. But now, I am cheering for T&T. It may be worthwhile to have a longer Champions League and a smaller IPL. Contrast that with the World Cup where you already know the teams and so you don’t need a lot of unnecessary matches.