The Hindu : Sport : Smith sets up Chargers’ victory

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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Smith sets up Chargers’ victory

Vaas and Rohit split the bowling honours for the winner

Dwayne Smith hit four sixes in his 47
Suman struck a few sweet blows but holed out to midwicket

— Photo: AP

TIMELY KNOCK: Dwayne Smith set up Deccan Chargers’ win over Rajasthan Royals with a fine innings on Monday.

KIMBERLEY: Deccan Chargers strengthened its case for a semifinal berth with a neat 53-run win over Rajasthan Royals on Monday.

Chargers’ cause was helped by a tight performance in the field after man-of-the-match Dwayne Smith’s 47 (32b, 4x6) helped it score 58 off its last five overs and set a target of 167.

In reply, Royals folded up for 113 in 19.3 overs. Chaminda Vaas (4-0-19-2) and Rohit Sharma (3-0-12-3) split the bowling honours for the winner.

Telling blows

Royals’ chase was dealt telling blows early on by Vaas (replacing Ryan Harris) who had the perfect IPL-2009 debut.

The Sri Lankan trapped Graeme Smith in front off his first ball (a fifty-fifty decision considering the height of the ball) and contributed to a bizarre stumping dismissal of Carseldine in his next over.

Rajasthan sunk deeper into distress when Naman Ojha was run out by a brilliant pick up and throw from Ravi Teja at point.

Floundering on 59 for three, Royals looked to Swapnil Asnodkar and Yusuf Pathan for a change in fortunes at the midway mark.

Asnodkar was given a reprieve when his shot off Andrew Symonds went through T. Suman’s hands for six over the mid-wicket boundary.

But Yusuf wasn’t so lucky. The dangerman thumped Pragyan Ojha straight to Dwayne Smith at long-off to leave his side at 74 for four in the 13th over.

Asnodkar comes good

Asnodkar (44, 39b, 6x4, 1x6) kept the scoreboard ticking before a mix up with Jadeja cost him his wicket. Three balls later, Rohit Sharma got one to crash into Abhishek Raut’s stumps to leave Royals gasping at 85 for six (13.4 overs). Smith also contributed with the ball when he bowled a tidy over, giving away just four runs from it.

Rohit picked up a couple more wickets in his next over, getting Morkel caught by Teja and clean bowling Shane Warne for a first-ball duck.

R.P. Singh returned for his second spell and mopped up the tail, putting a faster one through the defences of Siddharth Trivedi. Eventually, Royals was bowled out three balls before its stipulated quota of 20 overs.

Majestic start

Earlier, a late charge by Smith helped Chargers to 166 for seven after skipper Gilchrist elected to bat.

Gilchrist started the proceedings for his side with a majestic six off Morne Morkel. The Aussie was out to a marginal leg-before decision off Yusuf.

Suman (29, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) struck a few sweet blows but holed out to midwicket after having ripped successive boundaries off Siddharth Trivedi. New-man Rohit Sharma gifted his wicket away when he was stumped off Jadeja.

Chargers was 77 for three at the midway mark and its hopes rested with Andrew Symonds.

But Symonds (30, 19b, 2x4, 1x6) lost his leg stump in the second over after resumption when he tried to turn Jadeja to the leg side and missed the ball.

Royals’ slow bowlers hurried through their overs, clogging the flow of runs.

Jadeja (4-0-26-2) supported Yusuf Pathan well.

At 108 for four (15 overs), Chargers looked to accelerate but Vaas holed out to the legside boundary when Yusuf resumed his spell.

Smith kept up the tempo, reaping maximum returns off Jadeja and Yusuf and whipping Trivedi casually off his legs for a six over mid-wicket.

The West Indian got out when he hit Yusuf straight to long on to give the bowler his third wicket of the match.

Yusuf finished with 4-0-34-3. Trivedi was the most expensive of Royals’ bowlers, his three overs costing 33 runs.

SCOREBOARD

Deccan Chargers: T. Suman c Carseldine b Trivedi 29 (19b, 4x3, 1x6), A. Gilchrist lbw b Yusuf 10 (11b, 1x6), R. Sharma st Ojha b Jadeja 9 (14b), A. Symonds b Jadeja 30 (19b, 2x4, 1x6), D. Smith c Raut b Yusuf 47 (32b, 4x6), C. Vaas c Carseldine b Yusuf 20 (15b, 1x6), Venugopala Rao c Jadeja b Warne 12 (7b, 2x4), R. Teja (not out) 7 (3b, 1x4), R.P. Singh (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-1, w-1): 2. Total (for seven wkts in 20 overs): 166.

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-42, 3-70, 4-83, 5-120, 6-155, 7-164.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Morkel 3 -0-20-0, Munaf 1-0-3-0, Yusuf 4-0-34-3, Trivedi 3-0-33-1, Warne 4-0- 36-1 Jadeja 4-0-26-2, Raut 1-0-13-0.

Rajasthan Royals: G. Smith lbw b Vaas 1 (3b), S. Asnodkar (run out) 44 (39b, 6x4, 1x6), L. Carseldine 8 (11b, 1x4), N. Ojha (run out) 16 (14b, 2x4), Yusuf c Smith b Ojha 6 (7b), R. Jadeja (not out) 19 (20b), A. Raut b Rohit 1 (2b), M. Morkel c Teja b Rohit 8 (8b, 1x4), S. Warne b Rohit 0 (1b), S. Trivedi b R.P. Singh 1 (5b), M. Patel (run out) 5 (7b); Extras (lb-1, w-3): 4. Total (in 19.3 overs): 113.

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-19, 3-43, 4-74, 5-83, 6-85, 7-96, 8-97, 9-98.

Deccan Chargers bowling: R.P. Singh 4-0-22-1, Vaas 4-0-19-2, Symonds 4-0-30-0, Ojha 3.3-0-25-1, Smith 1-0-4-0, Rohit 3-0-12-3.

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