Llorne Howell - Sports blogger Former cricket international for the Black Caps, Llorne Howell, gives his views on New Zealand's number one summer sport, both for the Bay and the national team.

Hello from Mumbai. At the three quarter stage of the IPL it appears that one side has made a huge leap in performance and sits clearly atop the field. This season the Mumbai Indians seem rejuvenated after two years of missing the cut.

I went to the Mumbai versus Delhi match in Delhi and Mumbai completely dominated. They have strength in batting with Tendulkar and co and a fine attack. Malinga looked almost impossible to get away, skidding it in low at the stumps. Zaheer Khan was a great foil at the other end with left arm swing and bounce. Delhi was chasing and got behind the eight ball - never to recover.

One of the big reasons for their success has been the emergence of Sachin Tendulkar as a star 20-20 player. Many pundits had said that Mumbai was a team of test players and could not win in this format of the game.

In fact, Tendulkar has been such a force that in one of only two matches they have lost, Tendulkar was actually sidelined with heat exhaustion in the ninth over. This was in Chennai against Stephen Fleming's and Steve Rixon's Super Kings.

The thinking that test players could not be T20 greats is now being changed as these highly skillful guys are learning the new format.

It was certainly an experience at the ground. Getting there took one and a half hours due to traffic and then being squashed in line to wait for one-by-one through the security gates.

I was in the upper fifth level of the stand and it was one of the most unusual sporting experiences I have had.

I have been to big tests at Carisbrook and Lancaster Park against the Springboks and Super 12 finals at Jade and Eden Park. The noise and excitement here though was unbelievable. I have never been to the Sevens but the atmosphere must be similar. The Indian spectators have a party at the ground without alcohol.

From ball one they chant and bang plastic batons together to create as much noise as possible. They jump with excitement at any bit of action. I just sedately watched the action like a typical kiwi.

At the beginning of the game there is a big rush for seats. Your ticket gives you a block to sit in, not an actual allocated seat. The rush for the seats by the cheerleaders was like the running of the bulls. Guys were getting pushed over, falling down, falling over seats until the unlucky were left standing.

During the match the guys in these seats were doing their Indian dancing most of the game trying to catch the cheerleaders' attention in case the cheerleaders may jump over the wall and ask for their numbers.

The thing I found strange in the support for the game was that the Delhi crowd was chanting "Sachin, Sachin, Sachin" when he batted and went mad when he hit a boundary even though he plays for Mumbai.

I asked why you do this when he is the opposition. They just said that he is an Indian hero so they love him. I don't think an Eden Park crowd would do the same for Dan Carter even though they respect him.

Refreshment for the four hours was big ladles of corn or coca cola so they have a little way to go on this front.

Getting out of the match I was basically carried off my feet for quite a way in the crush down the narrow exits. One tends to sweat in India and one has to get used to it on others as well.

On that front, the heat is now getting oppressive during the day. South African fast bowling star Dale Steyn commented that he has really struggled to get back to normal body temperature. After one training session, the hotel staff and guests were bemused to see him get off the team bus and jump straight into the hotel pool fully clothed. He said he just gets so out of control hot it is the only way to cool down.

Jacques Kallis from the Royal Challengers says the actual matches are not too tough for seasoned campaigners. What exhausts the players are the after-match functions and travel. After each match there are IPL fashion shows which the players attend. Fifty of India's top models fly around with the circus to provide a fashion show after each match. The players also attend official functions for hundred of sponsors - then come morning and onto a plane for the next venue.

It will be interesting to see in the last 3-5 rounds who is up there to challenge for the title with Mumbai. Shane Warne's Rajasthan side is very competitive under his fine captaincy and Delhi has an explosive batting order with Sehweg, Gambhir and the Aussie blaster Warner. Their bowling has been wayward at times, but now with Dan Vettori to bowl four overs they look much stronger.