Pune Warriors India signs off on a winning note

Delhi Daredevils ends up with wooden spoon, managing only three victories out of 16 matches

May 19, 2013 08:03 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 11:02 am IST - Pune

Mumbai 19/05/2013   Luke Wright of Pune Warriors plays a shot,  During the Indian Premier Leauge twenty20 cricket match between Pune Warriors India and Delhi Daredevils at Subrata Roy Sahara stadium on May 19, 2013.  Photo:  Vivek Bendre

Mumbai 19/05/2013 Luke Wright of Pune Warriors plays a shot, During the Indian Premier Leauge twenty20 cricket match between Pune Warriors India and Delhi Daredevils at Subrata Roy Sahara stadium on May 19, 2013. Photo: Vivek Bendre

Almost all aspect of its game worked like a well-oiled machine as Pune Warriors India beat Delhi Daredevils by 38 runs to finish eighth in the Pepsi IPL-VI tournament here on Sunday.

It was the Warriors’ fourth win in 16 matches. There was a middle order wobble though after Robin Uthappa and Aaron Finch gave a decent start in the first session, but Angelo Mathews and Luke Wright provided the fireworks for a forceful finish in the last five overs.

Pune Warriors posted a home-match high score of 172 and dominated the second session with left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza striking it rich in his first and second overs, removing the rival skipper Mahela Jayawardena, Virender Sehwag and Bharat Chipli, who was playing a first match for a third franchise after Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad).

Fourth half-century

Skipper Finch did everything right for his team winning the toss, electing to bat and scoring his fourth half-century.

The stocky-looking opening pair in Uthappa and Finch has been the only bright spark in an otherwise grim season for Warriors. Both natural fluent strokeplayers and hitters with ability to send the ball into the far tiers of the stands, Uthappa and Finch once again punched shots against a quality pace attack in the presence of a big holiday crowd that watched the action from roofless parts of the stadium, under a blazing sun.

With individual efforts of 410 runs (Uthappa) and 404 (Finch) and 568 together as openers, it appeared a close race in so far as who would finish as the top run-getter for the team. The Australian got the honour, eventually making a strokeful knock of 52 filled with four splendid sixes and three shots hit wide of the fielders to the fence.

Special treatment

Finch picked up fast bowler Umesh Yadav for special treatment in the ninth over of the match with an on-driven and pulled six and a solid front-foot shot that raced to the cover boundary line. He struck lethal blows off left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan too and reached his half-century in 31 balls.

Virender Sehwag took a falling catch at forward of square leg to bring an end to an aggressive innings from the Warriors captain.

The opening stand gave some semblance of a thrust to Warriors in the Power Play overs before Uthappa fell in the first ball of the sixth with David Warner converting a two-handed catch at point.

Manish Pandey, who was seen in good nick against Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, was bowled neck and crop by an arm-ball from left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, who was a trifle unlucky not to win a leg before appeal against Yuvraj Singh.

The home team lost its way before Mathews and Wright plundered 65 runs in the last five, especially off Morne Morkel (14 in the 16th over and 10 in the 18th) and Umesh Yadav (24 in the 19th). Mathews and Wright’s bold shots raised 71 runs off 38 balls and lifted the team score from a dismal 96 for four to 167 when Wright departed with two balls remaining.

Scoreboard

Pune Warriors India: Robin Uthappa c Warner b Yadav 24 (20b, 3x4), Aaron Finch c Sehwag b Kaul 52 (34b, 3x4, 4x6), Manish Pandey b Nadeem 10 (14b, 1x6), Yuvraj Singh c Sehwag b Irfan 3 (7b), Angelo Mathews (not out) 30 (22b, 2x6), Luke Wright c Sehwag b Kaul 44 (23b, 7x4, 1x6), Raiphi Gomez (not out) 4 (1b, 1x4); Extras (lb-2, nb-1, w-2): 5. Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 172.

Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Uthappa), 2-74 (Pandey), 3-91 (Finch), 4-96 (Yuvraj), 5-167 (Wright).

Delhi Daredevils bowling: Irfan Pathan 4-0-34-1, Morne Morkel 4-0-36-0, Siddharth Kaul 4-0-27-2, Umesh Yadav 4-0-52-1, Shahbaz Nadeem 4-0-21-1.

Delhi Daredevils: Mahela Jayawardena c Wright b Murtaza 14 (13b, 3x4), David Warner c Uthappa b Parnell 2 (5b), Bharat Chipli lbw b Murtaza 16 (18b, 1x4, 1x6), Virender Sehwag c Gomez b Murtaza 11 (10b, 2x4), Ben Rohrer b Dinda 7 (9b, 1x4), Irfan Pathan c Pandey b Mathews 24 (28b, 2x4), C.M. Gautam c Gomez b Mathews 30 (23b, 2x4, 1x6), Morne Morkel c Parnell b Mathews 0 (1b), Umesh Yadav (not out) 8 (9b), Shahbaz Nadeem c Mathews b Dinda 6 (5b, 1x4), Siddharth Kaul (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-5, nb-1, w-10): 16. Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs) 134.

Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Warner), 2-40 (Jayawardena), 3-55 (Sehwag), 4-55 (Chipli), 5-64 (Rohrer), 6-118 (Gautam), 7-119 (M. Morkel), 8-125 (Irfan), 9-133 (Nadeem).

Pune Warriors India bowling: Wayne Parnell 3-0-36-1, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-26-0, Ashoke Dinda 4-0-21-2, Ali Murtaza 4-0-15-3, Yuvraj Singh 2-0-17-0, Angelo Mathews 3-0-14-3.

Man-of-the-match: L. Wright.

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