Sport

Vettori, rain script Daredevils’ big win

- PHOTO: AP

UP.UP.AND AWAY! Virender Sehwag finished it off in style by launching Piyush Chawla into the stands, as Delhi Daredevils overhauled the revised target with seven balls to spare.

Cape Town: Daniel Vettori and rain gods helped Delhi Daredevils score a comprehensive 10-wicket win over an extremely unlucky Kings XI Punjab in the rain-curtailed DLF-Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match, here on Sunday.

Rain played spoilsport as it denied Kings XI Punjab a fighting chance since Duckworth-Lewis calculations tilted the match heavily in favour of Delhi Daredevils, which was set an easy target of 30 runs from 25 balls.

The target was set when play resumed after the second rain-interruption. Earlier, delayed start had reduced the match first to 14 and then to 12 overs per side.

Chasing 105 to win, Delhi raced away to 24 for no loss in 1.5 overs when the skies opened up yet again. Virender Sehwag (38) and Gautam Gambhir (15) returned to the crease and scored the required 30 runs without any fuss.

Thanks to a splendid start by openers Karan Goel (38) and Ravi Bopara (22), the Punjab side had scored a modest 104 for seven after being sent in to bat at the Newlands ground.

The Yuvraj Singh-led side was taking huge strides towards a massive score at one stage, but Vettori’s exceptional bowling changed the complexion of the game.

It was the New Zealand skipper who kept his side in the hunt as he not only stopped the run flow but also dealt three huge blows to send shock-waves in the rival camp.

Even if Kings XI Punjab was not in a commanding position, it had a score to at least put up a fight.

Rain played hide and seek and delayed the start of the match by about 90 minutes. First the match was reduced to 14 overs from 20, but immediate rain after the toss forced the umpires to further reduce it to 12 overs per side.

Goel and Bopara provided a flying start to their side, rattling up the first 50 in just 4.3 overs. The duo put on 67 for the opening-wicket before being separated exactly at the half-way of the innings.

Left-arm spinner Vettori (three for 15) bowled an exceptional spell to stem the run-flow as he accounted for three Punjab batsmen after Yomahesh had drawn first blood.

The run-outs of skipper Yuvraj Singh (16) and Piyush Chawla (zero) only worsened the matter for Kings XI Punjab as it failed to build on the brilliant start.

Left-handed Goel began with a fluent square cut boundary off Dirk Nannes and then hit Avishkar Salvi for consecutive boundaries to set the momentum.

Bopara joined the party, swinging his arms to maximum effect as he hit two massive sixes off Pradeep Sangwan’s successive overs.

Hardly left with any option than to throw the bat at each and everything under the conditions, Goel took Yomahesh for some special treatment, reeling off three sixes — two in his second over.

However, Yomahesh had the last laugh when Goel holed out to Vettori at mid-off off the last ball of the same over, bringing skipper Yuvraj to the crease.

Vettori trapped Bopara the next ball, dealing the second blow to the Punjab team and gave away just one run in his first over.

As two new batsmen were at the crease, the scoring rate suffered and Kumar Sangakkara, while attempting to break the shackles, ended up edging one off Vettori to fine-leg.

From an impressive 67 for no loss, Kings XI Punjab was struggling at 77 for three.

Vettori continued with his impressive spell and added the wicket of Mahela Jayawardene (six), giving away just 15 runs in his three overs. — PTI

Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-67, 3-77, 4-98, 5-98, 6-98, 7-104.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: Nannes 3-0-24-0, Salvi 2-0-17-1, Sangwan 2-0-19-0, Yomahesh 2-0- 25-1, Vettori 3-0-15-3.

Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir (not out) 15, V Sehwag (not out) 38, Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-3): 5; Total: (for no loss in 4.5 overs) 58.

Kings XI bowling: Irfan 1-0-9-0, Abdulla 1-0-19-0, Malik 1-0-11-0, VRV Singh 1-0-5-0, Chawla 0.5-0-12-0.

Delhi Daredevils won under D/L Method

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