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Delhi proves too hot for Mumbai

Tendulkar’s side slips to yet another defeat

— PHOTO: AFP

ANCHOR: A.B. de Villiers guided Delhi Daredevils to victory with an unbeaten half-century.

East London: Delhi Daredevils registered a comfortable seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL match at the Buffalo Park on Friday.

Mumbai Indians collapsed for 116 after Sachin Tendulkar chose to bat. Daredevils reached the target in 18.5 overs.

Mumbai’s troubles began after Luke Ronchi, replacing Sanath Jayasuriya, fell to a runout in the very first over. The opener was well short of the crease when David Warner aimed it perfectly from cover. Soon after, Dirk Nannes sent across a delivery that angled away, luring J.P. Duminy into a thin edge to the wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik.

Big blow

Tendulkar’s wicket was a big blow to Mumbai. The batsman set off for an impossible single before he was sent back; but Karthik responded quickly to find the stumps. Pinal Shah was next to depart, giving himself room to one pitched on middle and leg by Rajat Bhatia. Amit Mishra at long-on completed a simple catch. Shah failed to capitalise on an earlier chance, when Pradeep Sangwan dropped him on five.

The batsmen were consistently stifled by the bowling. It took more than 14 overs for the innings’ first six to emerge. Mishra flighted it to Dwayne Bravo, who smashed it over extra cover for maximum.

Forced to accelerate, Bravo slogged Nannes over mid-wicket for a four, and almost immediately middled it perfectly for maximum over long-on while bringing up the fifty partnership with Abhishek Nayar. But Bravo’s stay ended when he swung at a delivery from Nannes, edging it to Karthik.

Nayar quickly followed suit when he failed to get hold of a pull-shot off the Man-of-the-Match Ashish Nehra. Delhi openers Warner and Gautam Gambhir began well for a 42-run stand before Duminy produced the breakthrough for Mumbai. Warner stepped out to the off-spinner but was beaten for wicketkeeper Shah to complete an easy stumping.

Harbhajan Singh nailed Gambhir with one that was tossed up outside off. Gambhir drove and Ronchi took the catch at deep cover.

Despite T. Dilshan’s wicket, de Villiers kept Delhi’s chase comfortable. Tendulkar had it tough against him, when he was smashed for three fours and a six in the 16th over.

The six off a full toss over deep mid-wicket was particularly powerful, taking Delhi closer. de Villiers was unbeaten on 50 in 38 balls, with six fours and a six.

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