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Paul Nixon powers Delhi Giants to victory

A. Joseph Antony

— PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

SWEEPING SUCCESS: Paul Nixon of Delhi Giants gets set to execute a reverse sweep during his whirlwind knock on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: Powered by man of the match Paul Nixon’s 43, Delhi Giants recorded a 13-run victory over Ahmedabad Rockets in the Indian Cricket League at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here on Sunday.

This was despite a blistering last-over assault by the Rockets’ Reetinder Sodhi, embellished by two towering sixes off the last two balls.

Invited to bat on a sunny afternoon, the Giants consolidated on the solid 38-run opening stand between Dale Benkenstein and Dihan Gunawardene. Abhinav Bali’s 35 was the precursor to more fireworks to follow, his 20-ball knock studded with three sixes and a four.

Nixon it was who bludgeoned the opposition to submission, as the irrepressible Englishman pummelled paceman and spinner alike. On one occasion, he slammed Jason Gillespie’s full toss over his head for a straight-driven six.

Biggest six

Another big hit over cow corner, off the same bowler, measured 106 metres and is frontrunner for the biggest six award that carries a $10,000 reward.

On the run-chase, the Rockets suffered an early setback with just a solitary run on the board, opener Ryan Campbell’s gloves coming in the way of a Shalabh Srivastava delivery that stumper Paul Nixon made no mistake with.

Damien Martyn, stepping out often, didn’t last long either, spooning a simple catch to Shane Bond at long off.

Murray Goodwin was caught behind too, his edge off Bond sailing into the gloves of the wicket-keeper. As wickets tumbled, Parvez Aziz at the other end steamed ahead undaunted, the Guwahati southpaw scoring almost at will. Hoisting Ali Murtuza over the long-on railing was typical of his cavalier approach.

It was the gritty J.P. Yadav who got Aziz, a straight one scattering the hard-hitting batsman’s stumps. Reetinder Sodhi celebrated his side’s 100 and in style too, straight-driving Bond’s intended yorker for a six.

Last resistance

In the same over, the former India under-19 captain crouched to glide the ball over the wicket-keeper for another big one. The fifth-wicket stand between Sodhi and Sridharan Sriram yielding 48 runs seemed the last stage of resistance. Sodhi stuck it out to the end but with little backup from his partners.

Earlier on Saturday night, Chennai Superstars sailed to a six-wicket victory over Dhaka Warriors. Set 143 for victory, the Chennai side cruised home with two overs to spare.

The scores: Delhi Giants 167 for seven (Paul Nixon 43, Abhinav Bali 35; Heath Streak three for 23) bt Ahmedabad Rockets 154 for nine (Parvez Aziz 48, Reetinder Sodhi 51 not out). Saturday’s scores: Dhaka Warriors 142 for six in 20 overs (Aftab Ahmed 30, Tamil Kumaran two for 25, G. Vignesh two for 25) lost to Chennai Superstars 148 for four in 18 overs (G. Vignesh 25, Ian Harvey 28, Russel Arnold 42 n.o.).

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