Bodi and Starc in the limelight

Gulam Bodi, Chennai Super Kings v Lions
64 off 46 balls

Gulam Bodi, a domestic veteran who played three internationals for South Africa in 2007, may not look the prettiest at the wicket but his assault in Cape Town felled IPL heavyweights Chennai Super Kings. The asking rate for Bodi's side Lions had hit 10 an over by the end of the seventh over, they had no momentum and they looked rather like cubs in the headlights, but over the next 13 overs they kept up with the rate without a hint of panic. Bodi, who initially seemed to possess just one shot - the pick-up over midwicket - now began to drive through extra cover to end with 64 off 46.

Bodi first played his release shot - the six over the leg side - and Albie Morkel responded by overstepping. The six off the free hit marked a huge change in the momentum. From 33 in eight overs, Lions went to 96 in 13.

Bodi took on the Indian spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, after that. Jadeja was powered through midwicket for four while Ashwin came in for severe punishment. He was scythed for two fours in an over through extra cover, and then cut and lofted for a four and a six. Bodi did not abandon his favoured leg-side completely though. Faf du Plessis was picked up from outside off stump and slog-swept for six over deep midwicket to bring up Bodi's fifty. It was Bodi's two-paced innings, which switched between snail-speed and high-octane in the space of a couple of deliveries, that powered Lions' chase.

Mitchell Starc, Sydney Sixers v Yorkshire and Lions v Sydney Sixers
3 for 22 and 3 for 19

Sydney Sixers have arrived at the Champions League Twenty20 with a fast-bowling attack some international sides will struggle to put together. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Shane Watson have played a major role in Sixers' winning all their three games so far.

Starc has been the most prolific among them, picking up nine wickets, three in each game, at an economy-rate of six. Starc has got the ball to move both ways at serious pace, and has proved to be difficult to get away with his control. Even when he has gone for runs initially, he has come back tellingly. His first over against Yorkshire went for 13 runs. He responded with a wicket-maiden when he returned for his second spell.

Starc has been trusted to bowl the last over of the innings by his captain Brad Haddin in all of Sixers' three games so far. Against Yorkshire, Starc's last over produced two wickets and went for only five runs. There was a touch of irony to the proceedings as Starc has also represented Yorkshire in the past.

The pattern repeated against Lions. Starc's first over cost 11 but he came back to give away just two off his second. Getting appreciable late swing at the death, he took out the dangerous Bodi off the first ball of his third before bowling the aggressive Jean Symes with the last ball of that over. He finished the Lions' innings in typical fashion, with an accurate and swift yorker.