Batting legend Brian Lara [Images] failed with the bat for third time in a row as Mumbai Champs crashed to a 24-run loss against Delhi Jets in the Indian Cricket League in Panchkula on Friday night.

Mumbai Champs' third consecutive defeat has virtually thrown them out of the ICL's Twenty20 tournament.

Chasing a target of 164, Lara, who opened the innings with D S Jadhav made his exit in the second over scoring just 3 off 5 balls. He nudged one to wicketkeeper Paul Nixon off T Sudhindra.

Man-of-the-match Sudhindra, the right arm pacer from Madhya Pradesh, wrecked the top order by sending Nathan Astle (4) and Vikram Solanki (4) to pavilion. After their exit, the Champs started disintegrating and in the ninth over they were struggling at 50-5.

Jadhav (42) kept fighting a losing battle as he managed to score 42 runs off 35 balls before he fell to 17-year-old Ali Murtaza, who had him caught by Taufeeq Umar [Images].

Even a late charge by Mervyn Dillon (19) could not prevent the inevitable as 27 runs were required by Champs in the final over. The Champs ended up with 139-9.

• I was one of the biggest underachievers: Dillon

Lara was out for a duck and four against Hyderabad Heroes and Chennai Superstars respectively.

Electing to bat, Delhi Jets too did not have a great start and lost three wickets with 45 on board.

However, it was the blitzkrieg unleashed by middle-order batsmen D M Benkenstein (38 off 25 balls) and Paul Nixon (39 off just 14) who remained not out and piled up 65 runs in just 27 balls that turned the scales in favour of the Jets.

Avinash Yadav of the Champs gave away 25 runs in the 18th over proving expensive finishing with 38 runs in 3 overs.

Nixon, who hit four sixes in his quick-fire knock, entertained the crowd, who had turned up in reasonable numbers despite very cold conditions.

Jets skipper Marvan Atapattu scored run-a-ball 14 before he fell LBW to Astle.

Meanwhile, half-a-million dollar worth fly camera was used in this match to give close aerial shots of the ground.

Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha was the chief guest today.

Scorecard:

Delhi Jets innings
Taufeeq Umar c van der Wath b Avinash Yadav 18
MD Mishra c Subhojit Paul b Patel 9
A Sharma c Powar b Avinash Yadav 6
S Abbas Ali b Astle 25
MS Atapattu lbw b Astle 14
DM Benkenstein not out 38
PA Nixon not out 39
Extras (lb 3, w 11) 14
Total (5 wickets in 20 overs) 163

Fall of wickets 1-20, 2-44, 3-45, 4-77, 5-98

Bowling: JJ van der Wath 4-0-28-0,  RB Patel 4-0-27-1, M Dillon 4-0-25-0, RD Khirid 1-0-9-0, Avinash Yadav 3-0-38-2, NJ Astle 4-0-33-2.

Mumbai Champs innings (Target: 164 runs)
DS Jadhav c Taufeeq Umar b Murtaza 42
BC Lara c Nixon b Sudhindra 3
NJ Astle lbw b Sudhindra 4
VS Solanki c Srivastava b Sudhindra 4
KR Powar c Mishra b Yadav 16
RD Khirid c sub (DH Yagnik) b Yadav 0
JJ van der Wath lbw b Sharma 13
Subhojit Paul b Sharma 21
M Dillon not out 19
RB Patel c Mishra b Sharma 4
Avinash Yadav not out 3
Extras (lb 5, w 5) 10
Total (9 wickets in 20 overs) 139

Fall of wickets 1-11, 2-25, 3-29, 4-50, 5-50, 6-82, 7-104, 8-113, 9-117

Bowling:  SJ Srivastava 4-0-24-0,  TP Sudhindra 4-0-35-3, Jai P Yadav 4-0-9-2, DM Benkenstein 1-0-13-0, A Murtaza 4-0-19-1, A Sharma 3-0-34-3.