IN PICS: Delhi put an end to losing run

Sport360 staff 23:26 02/05/2017

Delhi Daredevils kept their playoff hopes alive with a six-wicket win over defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a target of 186, as many as four of the Delhi batsman scored over 30 as they managed to put to an end to a five-match losing streak.

Sanju Samson [24 off 19 balls] and Karun Nair [39 off 20 balls] got the hosts off to a superb start, adding 40 runs for the first wicket in just four overs. From there on in, the Daredevils played smart cricket, keeping up with the required run-rate throughout.

In the middle overs, Rishabh Pant [34 off 20 balls] and Shreyas Iyer [33 off 25 balls] carried on the good work of the openers.

New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson [41* off 24 balls] was on hand at the end to see Delhi home to what many would consider as an upset, considering the positions of the two teams in the table.

What really cost Hyderabad was their fifth bowler as a combination of Moises Henriques and Yuvraj Singh conceded 52 runs from 3.1 overs as the Delhi batsmen saw an opportunity and took full use of it.

Earlier, after being put into bat, the Sunrisers got off to a strong start in the Powerplay overs once again with David Warner [30 off 21 balls] and Shikhar Dhawan [28 off 17 balls] putting on a 53-run partnership.

Unlike Sunday, Warner wasn’t able to kick on and score big this time around as he was bowled by a brilliant yorker from Mohammed Shami. Dhawan, just like his opening partner, also fell after getting a start.

Kane Williamson, who came into this match in a rich vein of form, also began well but was dismissed for a run-a-ball 24 by Shami.

Delhi leg-spinner Amit Mishra was brilliant in the middle overs as the Hyderabad batsmen simply failed to get the big shots away off his bowling. From his four overs, he conceded just 23 runs and took the wicket of Dhawan.

Yuvraj started his innings cautiously but once he got going, there was no stopping the India all-rounder as he took the Delhi pacers to the cleaners at the back-end of the Sunrisers innings.

The Indian batsman’s unbeaten 70 came from just 41 deliveries as he hit 11 fours and one six.

Yuvraj was well supported by Henriques, who went on to stay unbeaten on 25 [from 18 balls] at the end of the innings.

Kagiso Rabada was uncharacteristically poor with the ball as he went for 59 runs from his four overs, with 39 of them coming in the 18th and 20th overs.

For taking the crucial wickets of Warner and Williamson, Shami was named the Player of the Match.

Speaking after the game, stand-in captain Nair said: “It was a complete team performance. The bowlers gave it their all and if we had probably caught that catch [Samson dropping Yuvraj], they wouldn’t have got that far.”

With this win, Delhi have finally moved off the bottom of the table and find themselves at the sixth spot with six points from nine matches. On the other hand, Hyderabad are still third with 13 points from 11 games.

BRIEF SCORES

Sunrisers Hyderabad 185-3, 20 overs [Yuvraj 70*, Shami 2-36, Mishra 1-23] lost to Delhi Daredevils 189-4, 19.1 overs [Anderson 41*, Nair 39, Siraj 2-41] by six wickets.

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