CRICKET: IPL playoffs and Franklin Heroics

Success where it matters.  Franklin getting Mumbai home.

He's the kind of cricketer we've been wanting to do well for years.  Loads of promise with moments of triumph (Test match hundred vs Australia, wickets here and there, recent glimpses of ODI batting form) but for some reason he has never quite sealed it.  When Chris Cairns retired in his farewell Twenty20 match against the Windies, it was Franklin who monstered a huge 6 at Eden Park in a fashion that suggested a passing of the reigns.  Yet it never quite unfolded.

Some of that changed yesterday as Franklin lead the Mumbai Indians to an unlikely victory against Kolkata with 2 important wickets and a quickfire 45 off 23 to break a string of defeats for his team.  The magic unfolded in Balaji's last over where 21 was needed for victory, Franklin hit 4 consecutive fours before getting a single to hand the winning runs for an inspired Rayadu to seal victory.

Will it change his fortunes?... who knows, but it was nice to see the player celebrated for his contribution in the place where cricket matters most.  Often the bystander, this was his moment.

Both teams will now face off again in a qualifying semifinal to face the loser of the Chennai vs Bangalore match.

My predictions out of the last four teams?... Almost too close to call.  Gayle has made Bangalore (my pre-tournament favourites), a supreme T20 force.  Since his inclusion midway through, he has made nearly every bowling attack look like an exhibition frolic.  Add de Villiers and Virat Kohli to that batting and Vettori, Khan and promising Aravind in the bowling and its tough proposition.  Chennai are no mugs either with names like Hussey, Raina, Ashwin, Bollinger & most importantly MS Dhoni who commands more strength and integrity than any other cricketer going around.

Kolkata & Mumbai are strong but rely more heavily on stars.  Kolkata have YK Pathan & Kallis at their steer, whilst Mumbai follow behind Tendulkar & Malinga who have both wained in the later half of the comp.

In my mind, the winner will be either of the top 2.  Bangalore have an unstoppable force in Gayle, backed by the canniness of Vettori, and Chennai have the smarts in Coach Fleming plus the man of the nation in Dhoni.  The more favoured team may be the one who loses the first playoff, as the motivation and spark from the second chance may just be the difference.