McDonald shines with four-wicket haul

Victoria might have changed venues going into the second phase of the Champions League, but the conditions on offer were uncannily similar to what they faced in Delhi. It was their medium-pacers, particularly Andrew McDonald, who set up their comprehensive victory after Royal Challengers Bangalore had threatened to continue the trend of high scores at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The introduction of the slower seamers, and spinner Jon Holland, wrecked the solid foundation laid by the Bangalore openers. Clint McKay shrugged off two boundaries off successive deliveries to bowl Robin Uthappa with an offcutter; Manish Pandey's aggressive disposition prompted him to slap a catch back to Andrew McDonald off a ball that didn't come on quickly and Virat Kohli holed out in the deep after failing to get the desired elevation.

Though the bounce remained true, the pitch proved highly conducive to spin and slowed down considerably. Jon Holland, showing glimpses of what he could offer on the subsequent ODI tour of India, kept one end quiet. McDonald, in the meantime, maintained a tight line and his sly cutters, backed up by a frustrating length, earned him two significant breakthroughs. Ross Taylor, a nemesis for bowlers at the death, was caught plumb, while Rahul Dravid, whose exclusion from the ODI squad against Australia was the talking point of the day, was trapped in front while trying to force the pace.

Bangalore were only able to muster 127, which Victoria, thanks to a determined hand from Rob Quiney, were able to overhaul with ease.