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Kings XI prevails in a truncated encounter

Vijay Lokapally

Sehwag’s superb knock goes in vain for Delhi Daredevils

— Photo: S. Subramanium

GOING GREAT GUNS: Delhi Daredevils’ captain Virender Sehwag was at his rollicking best carting the Kings XI bowlers all over the park.

NEW DELHI: Kings XI Punjab, riding on some robust strokeplay by Mahela Jayawardene and Luke Pomersbach, left Delhi Daredevils crestfallen at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Saturday. Kings XI was declared the winner by six runs.

Jayawardene inspired the chase with a 17-ball 36 while Pomersbach, a 23-year-old Australian, pummeled the Daredevils into submission by swinging his bat around for a 12-ball 25. The two helped the team cross the figure of 88 in eight overs needed to win the contest on Duckworth and Lewis method.

Rain and wind played spoilsport at the Ferozeshah Kotla even as Virender Sehwag fought the Kings XI Punjab bowlers with a breathtaking knock that gave Delhi Daredevils a platform to battle.

Electing to bat, Daredevils got a mere 11 overs as rain halted play twice. The game resumed and Daredevils managed 118, getting just three runs in the final over by James Hopes. The Punjab team did well to restrict the revised target to 123 even as Sehwag remained unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls with two fours and five sixes.

Daredevils needed a start and the openers provided it in style. Sehwag and Gambhir gave the innings a rollicking pace even though they struggled to time the ball initially. The onus was on playing the shots and mostly taking the aerial route.

Superb square-cuts

Gambhir was not to be shackled and played three forceful square-cuts off Irfan Pathan that left the fielders in a trance.

Sehwag cut loose and off-drove V.R.V. Singh for a six and then repeated the shot for the maximum over point. He greeted Piyush Chawla with two mighty shots that landed in the stands at midwicket. The crowd just loved it, so did Sehwag.

The scores: Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir b Powar 40, V. Sehwag (not out) 51, S. Dhawan c Chawla b Powar 8, T. Dilshan c Pomersbach b Hopes 8, F. Maharoof c Powar b Hopes 0, S. Malik (not out) 1; Extras (lb-2, w-7, nb-1): 10; Total (for four wkts. in 11 overs): 118.

Fall of wickets: 1-75, 2-104, 3-115, 4-116.

Kings XI Punjab bowling: Sreesanth 3-0-33-0, Pathan 2-0-13-0, V.R.V. Singh 2-0-33-0, Powar 2-0-22-2, Chawla 1-0-13-0, Hopes 1-0-2-2.

Kings XI Punjab: S. Marsh c Dhawan b Sangwan 2, J. Hopes c Malik b Mishra 4, Yuvraj c Maharoof b McGrath 23, M. Jayawardene (not out) 36, L. Pomersbach (not out) 25; Extras (lb-2, w-2): 4. Total (for three wkts. in eight overs): 94.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-30, 3-31.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: McGrath 2-0-18-1, Sangwan 1-0-12-1, Mishra 2-0-21-1, Sehwag 1-0-22-0, Maharoof 1-0-11-0, Bhatia 1-0-8-0.

(Kings XI Punjab win by six runs (D/L method)

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