| 0 comments ]

Delhi Daredevils Vs Deccan Chargers - 1st Semi-final - SuperSport Park, Centurion

Adam Gilchrists 35 ball 85 ensured the Deccan Chargers made it into the finals of this years IPL season after beating Delhi by 6 wickets. It was not all smooth sailing though, chasing a competitive 154, Deccan made a disastrous start loosing Gibbs for a duck. But that did not deter Glichrist who single handedly took apart the Delhi Bowlers. His innings started off in style, smashing Nannes for 22 in the very first over of the game. In all there were 5 sixes, 10 fours and only 5 dot balls. To put this innings into perspective, Gilchrist had scored 48 when Deccans total reached 50. Deccan were 102/3 at the time of Gilchrists dismissal, Delhi were well and truely knocked out by then. Symonds and Suman then slowly but surely guided Deccan home with 14 balls to spare.

Earlier it was the Deccan bowlers who troubled Delhi. Harris got rid of both openers for duck in the very first over. It was then left to Virender Sehwag and Dlishan to rebuild a cracked Dehi innings. They did well putting on a stand of 85 before Sehwag(39) was snapped by Symonds in the 11th over. De Villier then joined Dlishan to take Delhi past 100. Just when they looked liked cutting loose, De Villiers was sent packing by RP Singh. Things only got worse from there losing batsmen at regular intervals. They ended up with 153/8.

Toss
Deccan Chargers won the toss and chose to field first.

Brief Scores
Delhi Daredevils 153/8 (Dilshan - 65, Sehwag - 39, Harris - 27/3)
Deccan Chargers 154/4 (Gilchrist - 85, Suman - 24*, Mishra - 19/3)

Result
Deccan Chargers won by by six wickets

| 0 comments ]

Banglore Royals Challengers vs Deccan Chargers - Match 56 - SuperSport Park, Centurion


The last league match between Deccan Chargers and Banglore Royal Challengers was just a formality as both the teams had already qualified for the semi - finals. However this match was important as the winner would be setting up a semi-final clash with the Chennai Super Kings and the looser of this match had to face Delhi Daredevils. Kumble who called right decided to bat first and Banglore innings was dominated by one man, the 19 year old Manish Pandey. It was Pandey's day as he became the first Indians to score a ton in the IPL and was awarded the man of the match for his innings. Pandey who was dropped by RP Singh when he was on 2 made the Chargers pay for their mistake. He made 114 from 73 balls hitting 10 fours and 4 sixers. A few aspects which needs to be mentioned about his innings were his hard running and waiting for the ball to come to him before going for his shots. Van de Merwe(23 from 18 balls) and Virat Kohli(19 from 9 balls) provided some good support for Pandey. The fact that around 106 runs came from the last ten overs was a testimony of Deccan bowler's suffering.

Deccan Chargers had a solid start to their chase with a firs wicket partnership of 68 runs before Gilchrist was accounted by Akhil. Most of the Deccan batsman lost their wickets when they looked set for a bigger innings. Suman(12), Symonds(18), R Sharma(12) got the starts but failed to capitalize on it. Gibbs played brilliantly for his 60 but in the end Deccan fell short by 12 runs handing Banglore a crucial morale boosting victory.

Toss
Banglore Royal Challengers won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brief Scores
Banglore Royal Challengers - 170/4 in 20 overs(M Pandey - 114*, V der Merwe - 28, P Ojha - 2/32, A Symonds - 1/15)
Deccan Chargers - 158/8 in 20 overs(H Gibbs - 60, A Symonds - 18, B Akhil - 2/18, A Kumble - 2/23)

Result
Banglore Royal Challengers won by 12 runs.

| 0 comments ]

Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians - Match 55 - SuperSport Park, Centurion

It was the final league match between for the Mumbai Indians and the Daredevils and the need for victory varied for both the teams. While Delhi wanted to win this match to prove their supremacy and go into the semis with some sort of momentum, Mumbai needed this win as a morale booster after crashing out of the tournament. Mumbai who were put in to bat by Delhi didn't have the greatest of starts loosing the wickets of Jayasuriya(0), JP Duminy(9) and Ashraful(2) early in the innings. However Sachin(47 from 38 balls) and Rahane(56 from 41 balls) played brilliantly and helped Mumbai to a total of 165 in their quota of 20 overs. On the bowling front Dirk Nannes bagged 3 wickets for 27 runs and Sangwan picked up a couple of wickets for the Daredevils.
Needing 166 for victory, Delhi started their chase solidly with Gautam Gambhir contributing 47 from 38 balls. Shewag announced his return to form with a brilliant half century from just 27 balls. Shewag belted the hapless Mumbai bowling for 5 fours and 2 big sixers. With just 22 runs for victory from around 6 overs Delhi had a slight hiccup loosing the wickets of Shewag, Dilshan(24 from 14 balls), R Bhatia(2) and de Villers(6) to Harbhajan in a span of 14 balls. But a cameo from Mishra who hit 13 runs of just 4 balls took Delhi to brilliant 4 wicket win with 21 balls to spare.

Toss
Delhi Daredevils won the toss and chose to field.

Brief Scores
Mumbai Indians - 165/8 in 20 overs(A Rahane - 56, S Tendulkar - 46, D Nannes - 3/27, P Sangwan - 2/28)
Delhi Daredevils - 166/6 in 17.3 overs(V Shewag - 50, G Gambhir - 47, H Singh - 4/17, D Kulkarni - 1/36)

Result
Delhi Daredevils won the match by 4 wickets.

| 1 comments ]


Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings - Match 54 - Kingsmead, Durban

Chennai Super Kings kept intact their record of winning all their encounters against Kings XI in IPL by inflicting a 24 run defeat in what was a must win match for Kings XI. Punjab made a mess of their chase and could manage only 92 runs at the end of their quota of 20 overs and ended up 25 runs short of their target of 117. When just a single every ball could have fetched them victory Kings XI batsman applied themselves poorly and some brilliant spin bowling from Murali, Ashwin and Raina dented the the Punjab line up and hence their confidence. Only Pomersbach who made 26 from 32 balls looked dangerous, apart from him the famed Punjab batting line up fell apart and got themselves kicked out of the tournament.

Earlier in the match Chennai could not capitalize on a brilliant platform laid by the opening pair of Parthiv(32 from 23 balls) and Bailey(15 from 12 balls). On a bouncy Durban track Chennai batsman tried to play their strokes and ended up loosing wickets at regular intervals. At the end of 20 overs Chennai could muster only 116 for the loss of 9 wickets, a target which everyone believed could easily be surpassed by Punjab. The jinx that Chennai had never won a match was broken but Punjab must wait till the next IPL to try and break their jinx against Chennai.

Toss
Chennai Super Kings won the toss and chose to bat.

Brief Scores
Chennai Super Kings - 116/9 in 20 overs(P Patel - 32, S Raina - 20, S Sreesanth - 2/23, I Pathan - 2/32)
Kings XI Punjab - 92/9 in 20 overs(L Pomersbach - 26, I Pathan - 14, M Muralidharan - 2/8, R Ashwin - 2/13)

Result
Chennai Super Kings won by 24 runs

| 0 comments ]

Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 53 - Kingsmead, Durban

A four wicket win for Kolkata has put the Rajasthan Royals out of contention for a semi final spot. Langaveldts figure of 15/3 made sure Kolkata were on top of the Royals after a catastrophic first over from Brad Hodge that went for 22 runs. Some excellent bowling combined with some sharp fielding from Kolkata had Rajasthan Struggling at 62/7. Jadeja (14) and Warne (18) provided some hope, but they soon fell trying to increase the scoring rate. Rajasthan finished with a dismal 101/9.

In reply, Kolkata made a disastrous start. Ganguly was out for a duck and McCullum followed the next ball. Just when thongs looked to be settling, yashpal Singh was accounted for by Munaf Patel. He was followed by the Australia pair of Hussey and Hodge. Things only got worse for Kolkata losing Shaikh and struggling at 45/6. At this stage the Royals looked to have found the inspiration that had given them such a sucessful run in the first season.But hopes of a win were soon dashed by Shukla (46), who with the support of Agarkar got the Knight Riders over the line.


Toss
Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and chose to field first.

Brief Scores
Rajasthan Royals 101/9 in 20 overs (Ojha - 22, Warne - 18, Langeveldt 15/3 )
Kolkata Knight Riders - 102/6 in 19.3 overs(Shukla - 46, Agarkar - 13, M Patel 12/2)

Result
Kolkata Knight Riders won by 4 wickets.

| 0 comments ]


Royal Banglore Challengers Vs Delhi Daredevils - Match 52 - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

It was a do or die match for Royal Banglore Challengers against the tournament leaders Delhi Daredevils. A win here would mean that Royals can keep their semi-finals dream alive, but on the other hand a defeat would make leave them to the mercy of other teams and a must win situation against Deccan Chargers the next match. Delhi who decided to bat first, had another bad start loosing both Shewag and Manhas for "DUCK". The early wickets meant that Delhi could not attack in the first 6 overs and with Dilshan being rested for this match, the Delhi line up looked vulnerable. G Gambhir(27 from 19 balls) and De Villers(28 from 29 balls) could not capitalize on the starts they got. Whenever Delhi looked to accelerate, they lost wickets and hence their run rate never looked ominous. D Karthik's form in this second half of the tournament is an encouraging sign for Delhi. Karthik made 31 from 29 balls. He looked to take singles and doubles and when the time came for him to get his big shots in the last two overs, he lost his wicket to Kumar. In the end Delhi managed a score of 134 loosing 3 wickets. P Kumar picked up two wickets and Kumble got a couple of wickets. But the best bowler for the Banglore was J Kallis. Kallis bowled his four overs conceding just 17 runs and also picked up the important wicket of Gambhir.

The loss of Robin Uthappa early in their chase did not impact the Challengers run chase. Kallis and Rahul were involved in a brilliant partnership and with the run rate not a demanding one, they took time to settle and played risk free cricket. Dravid fell to Nagar after making 38 from 34 balls. Ross Taylor blasted off by hitting 3 sixers and a four, making 25 from just 12 balls, before he succumbed Nagar. With 34 needed from 5 overs Kallis who remained unbeaten on 58 and Boucher ensured a Royal Challenger victory without any further damage.

Toss
Delhi Daredevils won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brief Scores
Delhi Daredevils - 134/7 in 20 overs(D Karthik - 31, AB De villiers - 28, P Kumar - 3/30, A Kumble - 2/24)
Banglore Royal Challengers - 135/3 in 19 overs(J Kallis - 58*, R Dravid - 38*, Y Nagar - 2/20, A Nehra - 1/21)

Result
Banglore Royal Challengers won by 7 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkatta Knight Riders - Match 51 - SuperSport Park, Centurion

Kolkatta surprised themselves and the entire cricketing community by beating the Chennai Super Kings at Centurion. Being the first team to be eliminated from the tournament and languishing at the bottom of the table with their own set of controversies, this win would do Kolkatta a world of good in terms of morale and confidence. Chennai who decided to bat first, started off brilliantly with both Pathiv Patel(25 of 19 balls) and George Bailey(30 of 27 balls) making their intentions clear. A double blow in the form of run-outs gave some hope for the Knight Rider bowlers, but they were not successful in denting the Chennai line up further. Raina and Dhoni were carried it on from where Bailey and Parthiv left. Raina made a brilliant 52 from 36 balls before Dinda got rid of him in the 17th over. Dhoni(40 from 28 balls) on the other end stayed unbeaten and he along with Morkel(21 from 10 balls) who for the first time in the tournament looked ominously with the bat propelled Chennai to a score of 188.

A target of 189 according to the standard of batting displayed by Knight Riders so far was a near impossible task and many thought that Kolkatta would proceed to yet another victory. The early wicket of Ganguly seemed to be the first casualty in another heavy defeat, but McCullum and Hodge had other plans in mind. Playing nothing but dignity and no pressure to qualify for the semis, McCullum played a captains knock scoring 81 from 48 balls. McCullum's knock was studded with 11 fours and three sixers. He was brilliantly supported by B Hodge(71* from 44 balls) and they made Chennai bowling look second class. Chennai had a glimmer of hope when they striked with the wickets of McCullum and Hussey, But a cameo from Saha(26* from 13 balls) and Balaji giving 19 runs of the penultimate over sealed the game for the Kinght Riders. As Dhoni summed it "I have never seen a poor bowling performance like this". Its high time Chennai concentrate on their bowling to stand a chance of winning the tournament.

Toss
Chennai Super Kings won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brief Scores
Chennai Super Kings - 188/3 in 20 overs(S Raina - 52, MS Dhoni - 40*, Dinda - 1/29)
Kolkatta Knight Riders - 189/3 in 20 overs(B McCullum - 81, B Hodge - 71*, M Muralitharan - 1/16, S Jakati - 1/36)

Result
Kolkatta Knight Riders won the match by 7 wickets.

| 0 comments ]

Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 50 - OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein

Delhi added another victory to their kitty by beating Rajasthan Royals in the match 50 of the DLF IPL 2. Choosing to bat first, Delhi lost their openers early, a sight which has become common for the Daredevils and it was once again left to the duo of DeVilliers and Dilshan to bring Delhi back and track and help Delhi to a respectable total. DeVilliers made a brilliant unbeaten 79 from 55 balls while Dilshan contributed 33 from 41 balls. The partnership of Dilshan and DeVillers was a risk free partnership which depended more on ones and twos rather than the boundaries. Once Dilshan got out, Karthik and DeVilliers went into full throttle and helped Delhi post a total of 150 on the board. Karthik contributed 23 from 11 balls.

Rajasthan made a complete mess of their chase when they lost 3 wickets for just 24 runs at the end of the powerplay. Nehra bowled brilliantly conceding just 8 runs from his 3 overs and also picking up the wicket of Quiney. Only J Botha(37 from 31 balls) and R Jadeja(24 from 18 balls) looked to score some runs. Once the wickets of Botha and Jadeja fell it was curtains for Royals. Munaf Patel made an entertaining 23from 10 balls at the end of Rajasthan innings, but it came a little too late as Rajasthan conceded a 14 run victory to Delhi Daredevils.

Toss
Delhi Daredevils won the toss and choose to bat.

Brief scores
Delhi Daredevils - 150/3 in 20 overs(AB deVillers - 79*, T Dilshan - 33, M Patel - 2/39, J Botha - 1/23)
Rajasthan Royals - 136/9 in 20 overs(J Botha - 37, R Jadeja - 24, A Mishra - 3/33, A Salvi - 2/19)

Result
Delhi Daredevils won by 14 runs.

| 0 comments ]

Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers - Match 49 - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Yuvraj Singh's second IPL hat-trick spun Punjab to a one run win against the Deccan Chargers.Chasing a below par 135 for victory, Deccan were off to a quick start scoring 34 in 3.1 overs before Powar dismissed Gilchrist and Suman of in sucessive balls. At 34/2 Symonds and Gibbs combined to take the Chargers to 73, before Gibbs fell of the last ball of a Yuvraj Singh over . He was then followed by Symonds and Rao who fell to Yuvraj off the first two balls of his next over, giving him a hat-trick. At this stage Deccan were struggling at 79/5 in the 14th over, but Rohit Sharma played another terrific knock to keep Deccan in the hunt. With 11 needed off the last over, Sharma edged the second ball for four, but Pathan got revenge when Sharma was bowled off the thrid ball. This left the tail needing to four off three balls, but they could not get Deccan over the line and finished with 133/8 from their 20 overs.

Earlier it was Sangakarra who held the Punjab innings together after a shaky start. He managed 56 off 43 and combined with Mota(12) for a 53 run stand to take Punjab past 100 in the 16th ove. However Punjab kept loosing wickets at crucial moments and their lower order could not take advantage of the platform laid by Sangakarra. A late flurry of 17 from Irfan Pathan helped them post 134/7 from their 20 overs.

This win has given Punjab renewed hope of a semi final spot. Deccan however seem to be on a downward path after their superb start, that at point one made them favourites to win the tournament. They have come a long way from last years performance, but they still have a lot of work to do.

Toss
Deccan Chargers won the toss and chose to field first

Brief Scores
Kings XI Punjab - 134/7 in 20 overs(K Sangakara - 56, Yuvraj - 20, Mahroof - 2/29, RP Singh 26/3)
Deccan Chargers - 133/8 in 20 overs (R Sharma - 42, Gibbs - 26, Yuvraj 13/3)

Result
Kings XI Punjab won by one run

| 0 comments ]

Kolkatta Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers - Match 48 - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg


Nothing seems to be going right for the Kolkatta knight riders this season. In the initial matches they failed to put up a good batting performance, but the bowling did them in this match and the last match. Kolkatta's batsmen contributed well after being put in by the Deccan and put up a very good total of 160 in their quota of 20 overs. McCullum(20 from 18 balls) and Ganguly(33 from 41 balls) provided a very good platform on which the likes of Hussey and Hodge built their innings. Hodge scored 48 from 41 balls, while Hussey played a dazzling knock of 43 from just 17 balls which helped to propel the Kolkatta score in the final overs.
Needing 160 runs for victory, Deccan made a solid start with a 68 run first wicket partnership between Gilchrist(43 from 31 balls) and Gibbs(28 from 34 balls). Suman played a useful knock in the middle overs scoring 31 from 24 balls. But with the wicket of Symonds(18 from 13 balls) falling at the end of 17th over. It was Rohit Sharma who guided Deccan to victory in the final overs. Deccan needed 32 runs from the final three overs and beautiful cameo from Rohit(32 from 13 balls) helped Deccan clinch a last ball victory with a six from Rohit's bat.

Toss
Deccan Chargers won the toss and chose to field

Brief Scores
Kolkatta Kinght Riders - 160/5 in 20 overs(B Hodge - 48, D Hussey - 43, R Harris - 2/20, R Sharma - 1/15)
Deccan Chargers - 166/4 in 20 overs (A Gilchrist - 43, R Sharma - 31*, M Karthik - 1/12, B Hodge - 1/23)

Result
Deccan Chargers won the match by 6 wickets.

| 0 comments ]

Chennai Super Kings Vs Mumabi Indians - Match 47 - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth


Chennai Super Kings virtually eliminated Mumbai Indians from the second edition of DLF IPL, thanks to a resounding victory powered by Mathew Hayden. Chasing 148 for victory Hayden scored an unbeaten 60 from 57 balls and guided Chennai to a superb victory. Chennai didn't start off well, loosing Parthiv Patel the very first ball to Lasith Malinga. Raina and Badri looked good but were out in their 20s after settling well. But it was Matty Hayden yet again who played the sheet anchor's role in contrat to the Wham Bham innings he had played so far in the previous matches. He along with Dhoni(23* from 22 balls) guided Chennai to a 7 wicket victory with 5 balls to spare.
Earlier in the day, Mumbai Indians who decided to bat first were powered to a total of 147, thanks to crucial knocks played by Jayasuriya, Duminy and Nayar. Jayasuriya helped Mumbai with a solid start scoring 30 from 17 balls. JP Duminy played an anchored the Mumbai innings and he along with Abhishek Nayar led the assault in the final overs. Duminy made 62 from 54 balls and Nayar remained unbeaten on 33 from 27 balls.

Toss
Mumbai Indians won the toss and decided to bat first.

Brief Scores
Mumbai Indians - 147/5 in 20 overs(JP Duminy - 62, A Nayar - 33*, S Raina - 1/22, S Tyagi - 1/29)
Chennai Super Kings - 151/3 in 19.1 overs(M Hayden - 60*, MS Dhoni - 23*, S Malinga - 1/19, D Bravo - 1/19)

Result
Chennai Super Kings won by 7 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils - Match 46 - OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein


A brialliant spell from Bret Lee reduced the dangerous Delhi batting line up to ashes and paved way for a crucial Punjab victory. Delhi batsmen who were put into bat first by Yuvi, didn't live up to their reputation as wickets after wickets kept tumbling. Punab bowlers led by Bret Lee maintained a tight leash over the Delhi run rate. M Manhas(26 of 25 balls) and D Karthik(32 of 29 balls) were the only batsmen who could negotiate the punjab bowling and helped Delhi breach the three figure mark. Even Sreesanth who till now leaked loads of runs took 2 wickets at an economy of 5 runs per over, an achievement of sorts considering the fact that till last match his average econoy was more then 10 per over. Bret Lee finished with a brilliant spell of 3/15.
Punjab chased down the target quite easily even though they lost some early wickets. Kumara Sangakara who remained unbeaten on 43 from 47 balls and I Pathan(21* from 11 balls) guided Punjab to a comfortable victory.

Toss
Kings XI Punjab won the toss and chose to field.

Brief Scores
Delhi Daredevils - 120/9 in 20 overs(D karthik - 32, M Manhas - 26, B Lee - 3/15, S Sreesanth - 2/20)
Kings XI Punjab - 123/4 in 19.1 overs(K Sangakara - 43*, I Pathan - 21*, Mahroof - 2/29, A Nehra - 1/6)

Result
Kings XI Punjab won by 6 wickets.

| 0 comments ]

Mumbai Indians Vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 45 - Kingsmead, Durban

Rajasthan Royals have pushed themselves to third spot on the ladder after a nail biting win over Mumbai. Needing just four runs off the last over, Mumbais nervous batsmen could only blame themseves for losing three wickets including 2 runouts and ultimately falling two runs short of the target. The match hyped for its contest between Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne lived up to its expectations as both men, used tactics of their own to keep the opposition at bay. Warne finally won the contest trapping Tendulkar lbw for 40. Warne was awarded the man of the match for his figures of 24/3.

Earlier the Rajasthan batsmen made a perfect start, just like Warne would have liked after winning the toss and electing to bat. Graham Smith was then caught of Harbhajan Singh for 19 and in came their star player Yusuf Pathan. He did not stay long though managing only 17 of 14 balls. His dismissal brought Jadeja to the crease who combined with Quiney for a 61 run stand. Quiney's stay was ended by Malinga on 51 and thing just got worse for Rajasthan, who managed only 19 of the last four overs and set Mumbai a target of 146.

Mambais reply start badly loosing three wickets with only 23 on the board. That brought Jayasuriya and Tendulkar to the crease who helped rebuild the Mumbai innings. At the ten over mark, Mumbai needed a further 90 for victory. Jayasuriya tried to lift the run rate, but lost his wickets doing so. He was quickly followed by Duminy which brought Nayar to the crease. Nayar and Tendukar increased the scoring rate and quickly put on 27 in 14 balls, before Tendulkar was snapped by Warne. Nayar however went on scoring, but fellin the 19th over. With four needed in the last over, Warne handed the ball to Munaf Patel whose previous over had cost 14 runs. This time he delivered, picking up the wicket of Kulkarni. This was followed by two suicidal runouts in the quest for valuable singles and Mumbai were bowled out for 143.

Toss
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brief Scores
Rajasthan Royals 145-8 in 20 overs (Quiney - 51, R Jadeja - 42, Jayasuriya 3/2 )
Mumbai Indians - 143 in 19.5 overs(S Tendulkar - 40, Nayar - 35, Warne 24/3)

Result
Rajasthan Royals won by 2 runs

| 0 comments ]

Banglore Royal Challengers vs Chennai Super Kings - Match 44 - Kingsmead, Durban


Banglore Royal Challengers clinched a final over victory against the Chennai Super Kings and hence their hopes for a semi-final berth alive. Chasing 130 for victory Banglore started off poorly loosing Kallis(0), Dravid(8) and Uthappa(6) early. But last match's hero Ross Taylor played a completely contrating innings compared to the previous one and helped Banglore to a victory. Taylor anchored the innings and in partnership with Virat Kohli stabilized the banglore innings. Taylor made 46 from 50 balls and Kohli contributed 38 from 35 balls. The match took an intersting turn when wickets started tumbling after the fall of Kohli. A six hit by Praveen of the first ball of penultimate over from Balaji helped ease tension, but the pendulum swung again when Taylor got out the first ball of the final over, with 5 runs to win of 5 balls, Royals held their nerve and reached home with 2 balls to spare.

Earlier in the day, Chennai batsman succumed to the accurate bowling of Kumble and Kallis. Except for Mathew Hayden who scored 60 from 38 balls, none of the Chennai bastmen stayed long enough in the crease. In what can be said as the worst batting performance of the season by Chennai, they managed to put up a below par total of 129loosing all their wickets with two balls to go.

Toss
Chennai Super Kings won the toss and chose to bat first

Brief Scores
Chennai Super Kings - 129 all out in 19.4 overs(M Hayden - 60, MS Dhoni - 18, A Kumble - 2/12, J Kallis - 2/18)
Banglore Royal Challengers - 132/8 in 19.4 overs(R Taylor - 46, V Kohli - 38, J Oram - 2/12, A Morkel - 2/13)

Result
Banglore Royal Challengers won the match by 2 wickets.

| 0 comments ]

Deccan Chargers Vs Delhi Daredevils - match 43 Kingsmead, Durban

An inpressive bowling spell of 15/4 from Bhatia helped Delhi win against the Deccan Chargers by 12 runs. Having won the toss, Deccan Chargers opted to bowl first and quickly got Rid of Gambhir. But that did not stop the Delhi batsmen from playing their shots. De Villiers and Dilshan were once again the stars with the bat managing 44 and 37 respectively. Sehwag was back for Delhi and opted to bat at number 5, but he managed only 12 after hitting one to Symonds. Karthik ensured the match finished off in style, smashing 44 of 23 balls and taking Delhi to an imposing 173/7.

In reply, Gilchrist got the Chargers off to a flier. They then lost Suman and Sharma in quick sucession. But that did not stop Gilchrist from playing his shots. He was finally snapped by Sangwan for 64 of 33 ball. With Symonds and Teja going well, Deccan looked like easily winning the game. Bhatia however thought otherwise, producing a magnificant over that got rid of Symonds(41) and D Smith(1) within two balls. Deccan were all out 161.

Toss:
Deccan Chargers won the toss and elected to field

Brief Scores:

Delhi Daredevils - 173/4 in 20 overs( D Karthik - 44*, De Villiers - 44, T Dilshan - 37, Ojha 26/2)

Deccan Chargers - 161 in 20 overs(Gilchrist - 64, Symonds - 41, Bhatia 15/4)

Result:
Delhi Daredevils won by 12 wickets






| 0 comments ]

Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab - Match 42 - SuperSports Park, Centurion


Dwayne Bravo scored an unbeaten 70 of 59 balls to help Mumbai Indians achieve a crucial win in a tie against Kings XI. This victory propels Mumbai to the fourth place in the points table, therby keeping their semi final hopes very much alive. Chasing a moderate total of 120 for victory Mumbai lost the wickets of Jayasuriya(4) and last match's hero Rahane(1) quite early but a typical calypso style innings from Bravo and an aggressive Tendulkar kept the Kings XI bowlers at bay and helped Mumbai cruise home with 22 balls to spare. Bravo remained unbeaten on 70(from 59 balls) and Sachin was left unconquered on 41, which took him just 29 balls. The Punjab bowlers had a very hard day, especially Sreesanth a.k.a Aaapam Chutiya who conceded 21 runs from the single over he bowled. Its time Sreesanth concentrate on his bowling rather than his so called dumb aggression. Remember the quote "Empty vessels make more noise".

Earlier in the match, Kings XI could not capitalize on a brilliant innings from Sunny Sohal. Sunny Sohal smashed the Mumbai Indians bowlers for 43 runs from just 23 balls, before a casual walk back to the non strikers crease cost him his wicket, thanks to an accurate throw from Tendulkar. Till then Punjab, eventhough loosing wickets, had momentum going in their way. The wicket of Sohal was soon followed by the crucial wickets of Sangakara, Mota and Yuvaraj. With wickets tumbling like nine pins, a useful contribution from K Goel(20* of 21 balls) helped Punjab reach 119 at the end of 20 overs.

Toss
Kings XI won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brief Scores
Kings XI Punjab - 119/9 in 20 overs(S Sohal - 43, K Goel - 20*, JP Duminy - 2/15, A Rahane - 1/5)
Mumbai Indians - 122/2 in 16.2 overs(D Bravo - 70*, S Tendulkar - 41*, B Lee - 1/25, P Chawla - 1/32)

Result
Mumbai Indians won the match by 8 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Kolkatta Knight Riders Vs Banglore Royal Challengers - Match 41 - SuperSport Park, Centurion

Kolkatta Knight Riders did it again, Yes Kolkatta lost yet another game and this time it was a game which they should have won against the Royal Challenegers Banglore. Having dominated the game for more than 30 overs, Kolkatta lost the plot in the final overs and Ross Taylor's heroic landed a much needed victory for the Royal Challengers. Kolkatta didn't have the greatest of starts after being put in by Banglore Royal Challengers loosing the wickets of Sourav Ganguly(4) and A Ghosh(7) early in the innings. But McCullum played a captains innings and along with David Hussey smashed the Royal challengers bowling. McCullum scored an unbeaten 84 of 64 deliveries, an innings which included 10 fours and two massive sixers. David Hussey scored 43 from 27 balls and these two innings propelled Kolkatta to their highest total in this season of IPL 173.

Chasing 174 for victory Challengers made a steady start adding 58 runs for the first wicket in 8 overs. But a Triple blow in the form of wickets of Kallis(31), Ryder(22) and Uthappa(7) reduced Banglore to 74/3. But Ross Taylor who started off slowly and played one of the most explosive innings of this IPL changed the fate of Banglore Royal Challengers. Imagine an innings where a bataman scores 81 runs with a strike rate of 245! That was exactly what Taylor did. He sent the Kolkatta bowlers leather hunting and reduced the asking rate from somewhere around 14 runs per over to just 5 runs of the last over. Ross Taylor's innings included seven four's and five sixers. A beautiful innings from McCullum was completely overshadowed by Taylor and kept alive the semi-final hopes of Banglore Royal Challengers.

Toss

Banglore Royal Challengers won the toss and chose to field

Brief Scores

Kolkatta Knight Riders - 173/4 in 20 overs (B McCullum - 84*, D Hussey - 43, R Vinay Kumar - 2/33, A Kumble - 1/28)

Royal Challengers Banglore - 176/4 in 19.2 overs(Ross Taylor - 81*, J Kallis - 31, M Karthik - 2/28, A Mendis - 1/21)

Result

Banglore Royal Challengers won the match by 6 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Deccan Chargers Vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 40 - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberly



Deccan Chargers conquered the Rajasthan Royals quite easily in an encounter at De Beers Diamond Oval. Deccan Chargers made a shaky start after deciding to bat first. Gilchrist was the first casuality when he was adjudged leg before after scoring 10 runs. Suman(29 of 19 balls) looked good for a big score, but gave his wicket away to Trivedi, The loss of Rohit Sharma's wicket just at the stroke of strategic time out pushed Deccan to the edge of misery. The wicket of Symonds who was going great guns scoring 30 of just 19 balls just after the strategic time out came as a big blow, but a stellar batting performance from Dwyane Smith helped Deccan set a target of 167 for Rajasthan. Smith scored 47 runs from 32 balls and was involved in crucial partnerships with Chaminda Vass(20 from 15 balls) and Venugopal Rao(12 from 7 balls). On the bowling front Yusuf Pathan grabbed 3 wickets and Ravindra Jadeja picked up two wickets for Rajasthan.

Rajasthan chasing a 167 never looked in hunt as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Smith, Carseldine, Ojha and the big hitting Yusuf fell without contributing much to the total and total reading 74/4 in the twelveth over nothing looked to go right for the Royals. The innings of Asnodkar was the only consolation for Royals. But with Asnodkar falling after making a patient 44, all the hopes of Royals were lost. The Rajasthan Royals were finally bowled out for 113 and lost the match by huge margin of 53 runs.

Toss

Deccan Chargers won the toss and elected to bat

Brief Scores

Deccan Chargers - 166/7 in 20 0vers(D Smith - 47, A Symonds - 30, Y Pathan - 3/34, R Jadeja - 2/26)

Rajasthan Royals - 113 all out in 19.3 overs(Asnodkar - 44, R Jadeja - 19, R Sharma - 3/12, C Vass - 2/19)

Result

Deccan chargers won the match by 53 runs

| 0 comments ]


Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knightriders - Match 39 - New Wanderers Johannesburg

Delhi have put the final nail in the coffin ensuring Kolkata will finish at the bottom of this years IPL table. Chasing 124 for victory, Delhi made a solid start but lost 3 wickets including the openers in the space of 14 balls. At 69/3 Kolkata seemed to have an upperhand, but DeVilliers(40) and Kartik(32) got Delhi home comfortably with 7 wickets to spare.

Delhi are again at the top of the table and are favourites for the title, however they have not secured the top berth. In contrast Kolkata are ensured the last spot. Kolkatas bright moment came in the second ball of the innings, which captain McCullum smashed for a six. He was however wrongly given out lbw the next ball. There were no bright moments after that for the Knightriders, they collapsed to 9/3. Just when they seemed to get a partnership going Mishra reduced them from 45/3 to 56/6. Ganguly top scored with 44 and some late hitting from Agarkar(39) took them to a below par 123/8.

Toss

Delhi Daredevils won the toss and chose to field


Brief Scores
Kolkatta Knight Riders - 123/8 in 20 overs(S Ganguly - 45, A Agarkar - 39, A Mishra 14/3)

Delhi Daredevils - 125/3 in 17.1 overs(AB deVilliers - 40*, D Warner - 36, I Sharma 23/2)


Result

Delhi Daredevils won by 7 wickets




| 0 comments ]

Mumbai Indians Vs Banglore Royal Challengers - Match 38 - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth



Ajinkya Rahane and Jean Paul Duminy helped Mumbai script a much needed victory over the Banglore Royal Challengers, a victory which keeps them alive in this tournament. Choosing to start first Mumbai lost Master Blaster Sachin for duck. Sanath Jayasuriya and Rahane stabilized the innings before Jayasuriya was adjudged lbw off van Merwe. The exit of Jayasuriya brought together JP Duminy and Rahane. They were involved in a brilliant unbeaten 103 run partnership with Rahane scoring 62 of 49 balls and Duminy contributing 59 of 41 balls. This partnership helped Mumbai reach a competitive score of 158.

Banglore needing just 159 for victory, made a mockery of their run chase. They kept loosing wickets at regular intervals and the moment you thought someone had settled to play a better innings, a needless shot was played to push Banglore further into abyss. Boucher played a brilliant cameo at the end of the innings, but his 48 from 33 balls was not enough to fetch Banglore a victory. On the bowling front Harbhajan bowled economically and picked up two wickets conceding just 15 runs of his quota of 4 overs.


Toss

Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bat

Brief Scores

Mumabi Indians - 157/2 in 20 overs(A Rahane - 62*, JP Duminy - 59*, van der Merwe - 1/17, R Vinay Kumar - 1/30)

Banglore Royal Challengers - 141/7 in 20 overs(M Boucher - 48*, V Kohli - 20, H Singh - 2/15, D Kulkarni - 1/24)

Result

Mumbai Indians won the match by 16 runs

| 0 comments ]

Chennai Super Kings Vs Rajasthan Royals - Match 37 - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberly



Chennai Super Kings's dream run in the latter part of the IPL continued with yet another victory over the champs Rajasthan Royals. Rajasthan Royals didn't get the start they want as they lost N Ojha in the third ball of the Royal's innings, but Asnodkar and Smith added 53 runs before Murali trapped Asnodkar plum in front of the wickets for a well made 26. Smith(30 of 33 balls) was foxed by a Murali delivery and a smart piece of glovework from Dhoni sent Smith back to the pavillion. The spinners along with Balaji kept a tight leash on the Rajasthan scoring rate. The batsmen tried to increase the run rate only to find themself playing a poor shot and getting out. Ravindra Jadeja(27 of 19 balls) looked dangerous after the strategic break but was removed by Balaji, thanks to a stunner of a catch from Raina. Shane Warne's final assault of 21 from 11 balls helped Rajasthan reach a score of 140, a very defendable target on a pitch which kept low and made stroke play difficult.


Chennai's chase had some initial hiccups with Murali Vijay departing after scoring just 10 runs and Raina depearting after making 13 runs. With the scoreboard reading 37/2, Badrinath joined Hayden at the crease and this partnership took chennai through. Hayden made a solid 48 from 44 balls and Badri compiled a beautiful half century, an effort which earned him the Man of the Match award. Warne got the consolation wicket of Hayden when the Chennai score read 126, but it was too little too late as Badri took Chennai home with 10 balls to spare.


Toss

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and chose to bat first


Brief Scores

Rajasthan Royals - 140/7 in 20 overs(G Smith - 30, R Jadeja - 27, M Muralitharan - 2/22, S Jakati - 2/35)

Chennai Super Kings - 141/3 in 18.2 overs(S Badrinath - 59*, M Hayden - 48, S Trivedi - 1/23, A Singh - 1/25)


Result

Chennai Super Kings won the match by 7 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Deccan Chargers Vs Kings XI Punjab - Match 36 - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberly - Bulletin

A half century from Andrew Symonds could not prevent the Deccan Chargers from losing against the Kings XI Punjab. In a thrilling chase that went on till the penultimate ball of the innings, Punjab batsmen Brett Lee and Pyuish Chawla kept their cool and helped them seal the game by 3 wickets.

Chasing 169 for victory, Punjab made a steady start. However they were left reeling at the 10 over break, having lost Yuvraj Singh off the last ball. When Play resumed Jayawardene took charge, kept scoring at a good rate and took the pressure off Punjab. But just when they seemed to have got the match in control, Jayawardene was run out for 43. With 16 needed from 9 deliveries, the pressure was mounting on Punjab, but Brett Lee responded with a much needed six. That one shot put Punjab back in command. Lee and Chawla, then guided them home with one ball to spare. Rohit Sharma returned with figures of 12/2, picking up both the openers.

Earlier in the day, some big hitting from Andrew Symonds helped Deccan post a competitive total of 168/5. At once stage they were strugging at 73/4 and Punjab seemed to be in total control. Symonds(60) reached his half century of 28 balls and was well supported by Rao(32). The pair put on 95 runs before Rao was run out of the last ball of the innings.


TOSS
Kings XI Punjab won the toss and chose to field

BRIEF SCORES
Deccan Chargers - 168/5 in 20 overs (A Symonds - 60* Y Rao- 32, B Lee 24/1)
Kings XI Punjab - 174/3 in 18 overs(M Jayawardene - 43, S Sohal - 30, R Sharma 12/2)


RESULT
Kings XI Punjab won by 3 wickets.

| 0 comments ]

Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians - Match 35 - Buffalo Park, East London


Delhi Daredevils beat Mumbai Indians convincingly by 7 wickets, thanks to some tight bowling by the Delhi seamers. With Jayasuriya out of the match Mumbai Indians decided to bat first banking on some solid partnership at the top of the innings, but their new openers in Luke Ronchi and JP Duminy didn't bother scoring a run. A careless act cost Sachin his wicket in the form of run out and the Delhi bowling never allowed Mumbai the much required momentum. D Bravo who made 38 runs from 30 balls was the only batsman worth mentioning as Mumbai were bowled out for 116 at the end of their 2o overs.

Chasing a small target of 117, Delhi batsman were on target forging good partnerships. The openers added 42 runs before both Gambhir and Warner were dismissed in quick interval. But a 50+ partnership between deVilliers and Dilshan with deVillers scoring an unbeaten 50 helped Mumbai reach their target with 7 balls to go.


Toss

Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bat


Brief Scores

Mumbai Indians - 116 all out in 20 overs(D Bravo - 35, A Nayar - 18, R Bhatia - 3/15, A Nehra - 2/27)

Delhi Daredevils - 118/3 in 18.5 overs(AB deVilliers - 50*, D Warner - 21, H Singh - 1/21, L Malinga - 1/30)


Result

Delhi Daredevils won by 7 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Big hitting from Mathew Hayden and Mahendra Singh Dhoni propelled Chennai to a 12 run win in a rain affected match. Set an imposing 186 for victory in 18 overs, Punjab batsmen were in for a fight. Katich led the charge with an explosive 50 of 25 balls and Yuvraj scored 58, but the target proved too much.

Earlier in the day, Chennai made a terrible start. Badrinath added to the long list of players out first ball of the innings. But from there on in they did not look back, Hayden, Raina and Dhoni took the Punjab bowlers to task. Hayden was finally out after scoring 89 of 58 balls, an innings which included 6 sixes and 8 fours.

Chennai are now in a comfortable position to take a semi final spot. Punjab on the other hand have a lot to do if they are to make it.

TOSS

Chennai Super Kings won the toss and chose to bat


BRIEF SCORES

Chennai Super Kings - 185/3 in 18 overs (Hayden - 89, Dhoni - 58*,Chawla 28/1)

Kings XI Punjab - 174/3 in 18 overs(Yuvaraj Singh - 58*, S Katich - 50, Jakati 20/1)

RESULT

Chennai Super Kings won the match by 12 runs (D/L method)

| 0 comments ]

Rajasthan Royals Vs Royal Banglore Challengers - Match 33 -SuperSport Park, Centurion

A half century from Ojha has led Rajasthan to a 7 wicket win over the Bangalore. Having been put in to bat, Bangalore's batsmen never looked threatening. They kept on loosing wickets at regular itervals and ended up with a dissapointing 105 all out. Robin Uthappa was their top scorer with 17, while Rahul Dravid who was back from India did not trouble the scorers.

In reply Rajasthan were off to a solid start. Smith and Ojha put on 27 before Smith was accounted for by Kallis. But the small target never proved a problem for them. They scrambled home with 30 balls to spare.

Toss:

Rajasthan Royals who chose to field

Teams:
Rajasthan Royals
G Smith, N Ojha, N Patel, A Raut, Y Pathan,A Singh, R Jadeja, S Warne, L Carseldine, M Patel, M Morkel

Banglore Royal Challengers
W Jaffer, R Uthappa, J Kallis, R wan der Merwe, R Dravid, V Kohli, M Boucher, P Kumar, Vinay Kumar, D du Preez, A Kumble

Brief Scores:
Banglore Royal Challengers - 105 in 20 overs (r Uthappa - 17, A Singh -19/4)
Rajasthan Royals - 106 in 15 overs (N Ojha - 52, Y Pathan -22, Kallis 20/1 )

Result:

Rajasthan Royals won by 7 wickets.

| 0 comments ]

Australia Vs Pakistan - Only T20I - Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium

Man of the match performances by Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi helped pakistan clinch the one off T20 international match against Australia by 7 wickets. Having asked to bat first, the Aussie openers were off to a quick start and had amassed 42 runs in 4 overs before Watson was out lbw to Gul for 33. His wicket brought James Hopes to the crease, he and Brad Haddin put on 19 but Afridi struck to get rid of Hopes(6) and new batsmen Symonds(0) in sucessive balls in the 8th over. Australias innings never recovered from there, losing wickets at regular intervals. Gul picked up 8/4 and Afridi got 14/3. Australia were all out for 108.

In reply Pakistan were nearly off to a disastrous start. Lee managed to get Butt to slash a short and wide delivery, but Marcus North failed to take the catch. Lee then picked up Ahmed and Pakistan seemed to be in trouble when Butt followed soon after. However Kamran Akmal and Mishba Ul-Haq steadied the ship and Pakistan got home with 22 balls to spare.

Toss
Pakistan who elected to field first

Teams
Australia
S Watson, B Haddin, J Hopes, A Symonds, M North, B Lee, N Bracken, B Hilfenhaus, D Hussey, C Ferguson, N Hauritz

Pakistan
S Butt, A Shehzad, M Ul-Haq, F Alam, S Afridi, U Gul, S Tanvir, S Akthar, S Ajmal, K Akmal, S Malik

Brief Scores

Australia 108 in 19.5 overs (Watson 33, Gul 8/4, Afridi 14/3 )
Pakistan - 109 in 16.2 overs (Akmal 58, hauritz 20/1)

Result
Pakistan won by 7 wickets

| 0 comments ]

An all round display from Rohit Sharma helped Deccan Chargers beat Mumbai Indians by 19 runs and are now in third place on the points table. Rohit Sharmas hat-trick was the second of the tournament by a part time bowler, the first being Yuvraj Singh. Chasing a target of 146 for victory Mumbai's chase started badly loosing both openers with 7 runs on the board. It was then left to Duminy(52) and Shah(29) to consolidate. At 103/4 in the 16th over Mumbai were in with a chance to win, but Rohit Sharma did not think so. He pick up 4 wickets in 5 balls and Mumbai were left reeling at 109/8. They ended up with 126/8 in their 20 overs.

Earlier It was Rohit Sharma who did the damage with the bat. He scored 38 and help the Chargers reach a competitive score of 145/6. Gilchrist(25), Suman(20) and Rao(28) all chipped in with valuable runs. The Mumbai bowlers were able to keep the pressure on throught the innings and take wickets at regular intervals.

Mumbai are now in 7th place just ahead of Kolkata. The tournament has reached its halfway stage and almost all teams have a chance of making it into the semies.


Toss
Deccan Chargers chose to bat first


Brief Scores
Deccan Chargers - 145/6 in 20 overs (Y Rao- 28, A Gilchrist - 25, D Bravo 16/1)
Mumbai Indians - 126/8 in 20 0vers(JP Duminy -52, R sharma 6/4)

Result
Deccan Chargers won by 19 runs

| 0 comments ]

Delhi Daredevils Vs Kolkatta Knight Riders - Match 31 - Kingsmead, Durban

Kolkatta Knight Riders disastrous run in the tournament continued as they lost yet another game and now have no hopes of making it to the semi finals. Kolkatta's batting display though after winning the toss was much improved than their previous outings and all the players chipped in with some runs. With the absence of Gayle from the team Van Wyk opened the innings with McCullum and both gave a solid start to the Kolkatta innings. For the first time in this series McCullum looked like his old self and played some brilliant shots before he hooked straight to the throat of Nehra who accepted the catch gleely off the bowling of Sangwan. Brad Hodge could add just 10 runs to the score but a wonderful partnership between van Wyk and Henriques helped Kolkatta reach total of 154 loosing just 3 wickets. Van Wyk played briliantly for his 74 of just 48 balls and showed his consistency in this tournament.

Chasing a total of 155, the Delhi openers Gambhir and Warner started off brilliantly with the openers adding 60 runs for the first wicket before Warner was out after scoring 36 of 23 balls. This was the only success the Kolkatta Knight Riders had in their bowling, as another major partnership between Gambhir and Dilshan took Delhi comfortably to a nine wicket victory. Gambhir who was adjudged the Man of the Match scored a solid 71 of 57 balls and Dilshan gave him good company with 42 from 34 balls. With this win under their belt, Delhi move to the top of the points table. The tournament is wide open for all teams except Kolkatta and we believe that it will get down to run rate when deciding the semi - finalists.

Toss

Kolkatta Knight Riders won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brief Scores

Kolkatta Knight Riders - 154/3 in 20 overs(Van Wyk - 74, B McCullum - 35, P Sangwan - 2/29, A Nehra - 1/23)

Delhi Daredevils - 157/1 in 19 overs(G Gambhir - 71*, T Dilshan - 42*, A Agarkar - 1/24)

Result

Delhi Daredevils won the match by 9 wickets.

| 0 comments ]

Rajhasthan Royals VS Kings XI Punjab - Match 30 - Kingsmead, Durban

Rajasthan Royals won their fourth match of the season and in doing so scored the highest team total of the tournament thus far. Batting first the Royals scored 211/4. Graham Smith batted himself into form scoring 77 of 43 balls. He was well supported by new opening partner Ojha who scored an entertaining 68. In reply Punjab only managed 133/8.

Yuvraj Singhs decision to bowl Powar in the first over proved costly as he was hammered for two sixes and a four by Ojha. The openers put on 100 in the 11th over and just when they looked to be heading for a large total Graham Smith was caught on the boundary, a welcome relief for Punjab. In came Yusuf Pathan and he did not take long to get going, a six of the second ball he faced was followed by a four two balls later. But Pathans urge for big shots had him cau
ght by Goel for 12 and Ojha soon followed. Jadeja showed his worth by blasting 34 if 12 balls, a crucial innings just when Rajhasthan were looking like loosing their way after the loss of three quick wickets. Sreesanth did not get a good start to his season. He went for 44 in his 4 overs, including 23 in his last over. His cause not helped by no-balls.


Punjabs innings started badly. Sohal was out caught off the first ball of the innings. In came Goel and he did not last long either, Punjab were left reeling at 2/2 after the first over. It who have been worse had Warne caught onto a sitter offered by Sangakarra in the second over. Katich and Sangakarra tried to get a move on, but were soon picked up by Trivedi and Y Pathan respectively. At 39/5 Punjab were left with no chance of winning the game. Captain Yuvraj singh scored a defiant 48, but it was not enough to avoid a heavy defeat. A Singh was the star with the ball for the Royals. He ended up with figures of 9/3 in 4 overs, including two wickets in the very first over of the innings.

The win has added twists to the points table. Rajasthan are in second spot and are back into contention for a semi-final spot and a second title; a week ago they were written off.


Toss
Punjab who elected to field first

Teams
Rajasthan Royals
N Ojha, G Smith, S Harwood, R Jadeja, Y Pathan, S Trivedi, S Warne, M Rawat,
M Patel, S Trivedi, A Singh.

Kings XI Punjab
S Sohal, S Sreesanth, K Goel, Yuvraj Singh, K Sangakarra, M Jayawardane , P Chawla, I Pathan, S Katich, R Powar, Y Abdulla

Brief Scores

Rajasthan Royals 211-4 in 20 overs (G Smith 77, N Ojha 68, R Jadeja 34, Chawla 30/2 )
Kings XI Punjab - 13 in 20 overs (Y Singh 48, A singh 9/3)

Result
Rajasthan Royals won by 78 runs

| 0 comments ]

Deccan Chargers VS Chennai Super Kings - Match 29 - Buffalo Park, East London


Chennai Super Kings are on a roll, winning their third consecutive match, which propels them from seventh spot in the points table a week back to the first spot. Almost everything this match went Chennai's way - Dhoni won the toss, decided to bat and the openers backed his decision by providing a wonderful opening partnership. Hayden blasted 43 from 26 balls, while Vijay made a solid 31 from 33 balls. Once the wickets of openers fell, Raina and Dhoni took over and treated the crowd for their money with some excellent display of strokes. Raina provided the much needed momentum after the strategic time out scoring 32 of just 19 balls, while Dhoni came to form with a brilliant, unbeaten 58 from 37 balls. Some good bowling at the death by RP Singh restricted Chennai to 178 from a posistion where they were looking good for 200.


Chasing 179 for victory Deccan started catastrophically loosing three wickets for just one run on the board. Gilchrist was out leg before the very first ball of the innings from Albie Morkel. In the next over Sudeep Tyagi rattled the wood work of Gibbs and in the third over VVS Laxman flicked one straight to the fielder. With their top three gone for "DUCKS", the lucky Dwyane Smith who was dropped twice of consecutive balls counter - attacked with some mighty blows. Smith along with Sharma brought the scoreboard from 1/3 to 73/3, before Jataki made a double strike removing both Sharma and Smith in the same over. With the return of dangerous Smith to pavillion, the Chennai bowlers ran through the remaining batting line up and the Deccan Chargers ended up loosing all their wickets in 14.4 overs with just 100 runs on the board. Jakati once again bowled brilliantly and returned with the figures of 4/22. Murali will be on a hat-trick the next match and ended up with figures of 2/11. The only worrying factor for Chennai would be their catching. Chennai dropped loads of easy catches that too of consecutive deliveries. If only Chennai could have held on to these catches, the match would have been over much earlier!


TOSS

Chennai Super Kings won the toss and chose to bat


BRIEF SCORES

Chennai Super Kings - 178/3 in 20 overs(Dhoni - 58*, Hayden - 43, SM Shohaib - 1/14, T Suman - 1/29)

Deccan Chargers - 100 all out in 14.4 overs(D Smith - 49, R Sharma - 21, S Jataki - 4/22, M Muralitharan - 2/11)


RESULT

Chennai Super Kings won the match by 78 runs.

| 0 comments ]

Banglore Royal Challengers vs Mumbai Indians - Match 28 - New Wanderer's Stadium, Johannesburg

Banglore Royal Challengers beat Mumbai Indians comphrehensively by 9 wickets at the New Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg. Chasing a total of 150, Banglore put in front a stunning batting performance led by Kallis(69 of 59 balls) and Uthappa(66 of 42 balls) and reached the target with 11 balls to spare. Earlier in the day, Mumbai Indians were kept on a tight leash by the Banglore bowlers before Bravo(50 of 40 balls) and A Nayar(29 of 20 balls) cut loose and helped Mumbai put up a competitive total of 149 on the board. Jayasuriya scored 52 of 43 balls which provided a solid foundation for the likes of Bravo and Nayar. du Preez made an impressive debut for Banglore Royal Challengers claiming the first three Mumbai Indians wickets which included the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and JP Duminy. Sure this kid has a bright future.

Toss
Mumbai Indians won the toss and chose to bat

Brief Scores
Mumbai Indians - 149/4 in 20 0vers(S Jayasuriya - 52, D Bravo - 50, du Preez - 3/32, van der Merwe - 1/27)
Banglore Royal Challengers - 150/1 in 18.1 overs(J Kallis - 69*, R Uthappa - 66*, Z Khan - 1/12)

Result
Banglore Royal Challengers won by 9 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Kolkatta Knight Riders Vs Kings XI Punjab - Match 27 - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth

Bard Hodge's 70 could not help Kolkatta salvage a win, as they lost yet another match to Kings XI Punjab. Kings XI scrapped through with a last ball 6 wicket win, thanks mainly to a solid unbeaten 52 from jayawardane.

Toss
Kolkatta Knight Riders won the toss and Chose to bat first.

Brief Scores
Kolkatta Knight Riders - 153/3 in 20 overs(B Hodge - 70, S Ganguly - 22, P Chawla - 2/27, Y Abdulla - 1/33)
Kings XI Punjab - 154/4 in 20 overs(M Jayawardane - 52*, S Katich - 34, I Sharma - 2/27, B Hodge - 1/13)

Result
Kings XI Punjab won by 6 wickets

| 0 comments ]

Chennai Super Kings Vs Delhi Daredevils - Match 26 - New Wanderes Stadium, Johannesburg - Bulletin

Little known Shadab Jakati spun Chennai Super Kings to a memorable victory on a batsman friendly Wanderers pitch. On a pitch which was predicted to produce the first 200+ innings score, Gauti won the toss and decided to field first,and Dhoni was banking on the Hayden - Raina factor to post a competitive score on board. Hayden did start off the Chennai innings with a zing scoring 30 of just 19 balls, but the wickets of Vijay and Hayden in quick succession bought together Badrinath and Raina. These two played brilliantly after the strategic time out and got the run rate near nine runs per over, before Raina was caught in the deep after making 32 of 21 balls. S Badrinath's blinder of an innings came to an end when he lost his sticks trying to improvise on Bhatia's bowling. Once the wicket of Badri was lost, Chennai kept loosing wickets regularly. Morkel and Dhoni, the most dreaded power hitters in the line up failed to live up to their reputation and Chennai lost all the wickets for 163 runs. On the bowling front, the left arm seamers Ashish Nehra and Dirk Nannes grabbed three wickets each giving away 27 runs.

With the likes of in-form deVillers and Dilshan, Delhi started off their chase on the batsmen friendly Wanders pitch as favourites. It needed some special effort and a few once in a life - time performance from Chennai to score some points in this game. Chennai got exactly what they prayed for, when Raina took a blinder of a catch to dismiss dangerous looking Gambhir and the next ball Sudeep Tyagi got one to nip back a bit and the in - form deVillers had his woodwork disturbed. Jakati was introduced into the attack and he bowled a brilliant delivery which got rid of Dilshan and reduced Delhi to 53/3. David Warner and Dinesh Karthik came to Delhi's rescue and with their brilliant counter - attack left Dhoni hoping for just another miracle. The miracle came when Warner tried to get down the track and score a maximum of Jakati, but the ball spun, beat him and Dhoni completed a neat stumping. David Warner was out for 51 and Chennai heaved a sigh of relief as the dreaded partnership was broken. Manhas tried to hoik Murali over the ropes only to find hear the sound of his sticks getting disturbed. Karthik fell after scoring a brilliant 42 of 31 balls and with this wicket Delhi had lost their chase. Delhi managed to score just 10 runs of the final over in which they required 28, thereby handing over a 18 run, much needed victory to Chennai. This win propels Chennai to the fourth place in the points table and throws the tournament wide open.

Toss:
Delhi Daredevils won the toss and elected to field

Teams:
Chennai Super Kings
M Vijay, M Hayden, S Raina, M S Dhoni, A Morkel, S Badrinath, S Jakati, J Oram, L Balaji, M Muralitharan, S Tyagi
Delhi Daredvils
G Gambhir, V Shewag, T Dilshan, AB de Villiers, M Manhas, D Karthik, D Nannes, D Vettori, A Nehra, A Mishra, P Sangwan

Brief Scores:
Chennai Super Kings - 163 all out in 20 overs(S Badrianth - 45, S Raina - 31, A Nehra - 3/27, D Nannes - 3/27)
Delhi Daredevils - 145/8 in 20 overs(D Karthik - 52, D Warner - 51, S Jakati - 4/24, S Tyagi - 2/18)

Result:
Chennai Super Kings won the match by 18 runs.

| 0 comments ]

Rajasthan Royals Vs Deccan Chargers - Match 25 - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth - Bulletin

Rajasthan Royals have won their third game of this year’s IPL beating the Deccan Chargers by 3 wickets. The Royals have had many close finishes and this was no different. The tension lasted till the last over, with the Royals getting home with 2 balls to spare. Batting first Deccan chargers were off to a steady start but lost Gibbs and Balakhia in quick succession. But handy contributions by Gilchrist (39), Sharma (38) and Suman (41) ensured they reached a competitive total of 144/5.

In reply Rajasthan made a disastrous start losing both their openers for ducks in the first over. Thing got worse the following over when when Ojha was caught off RP Singh for a duck. Just as their hope seemed to fade away, Carseldine played an exciting counter attacking knock and at one stage looked like running away with the game. He and Jadeja (12) added 51 runs for the fourth wicket, before the pair was dismissed by Rao in the space of five balls. To every once surprise Warne promoted him to number 6 and started to weave some of this magic, this time with the bat. He hit two sixes in the 12th over but was caught soon after trying to increase the scoring rate.

Just when it seemed to be over in came Pathan. Four of the first ball he faced was followed by two consecutive sixes in the next over, then another pull for four brought the equation down to 17 runs from three overs. It was then down to singles and twos to get the job done, but Pathan as he usually does went for a big shot and was caught. The situation was tense in the last over after Harwood failed to score of the first two balls and then a missed run out opportunity while attempting to steal a single when the ball headed towards the keeper.

Among all this chaos, Raut composed 36 of 23 balls. An important innings played at the other end of all the drama .

Toss
Deccan Chargers won the toss and elected to Bat

Teams
Rajasthan Royals
G Smith, S Asnodkar, R Jadeja, Y Pathan, S Warne, N Ojha, M Patel, S Trivedi, S Hawood, A Raut, L Carseldine

Deccan Chargers
A Gilchrist, H Gibbs, R Sharma, D Smith, V Rao, A Bilakhia, P Ojha, RP Singh, SM Shoaib, F Edwards, T Suman

Brief Scores
Deccan Chargers - 141/5 in 20 overs (T Suman - 41, A Gilchrist - 39, S harwood - 2/25)
Rajasthan Royals - 142/7 in 19.4 overs(Carseldine - 38, Raut - 36*,Y Pathan - 24, RP Singh 2/18)

Result
Rajasthan Royals won by 3 wickets

THIS POST WAS POSTED BY RUDY

| 0 comments ]

Banglore Royal Challengers Vs Kings XI Punjab - Match 24 - Kingsmead, Durban - Bulletin

A sesnsational hat - trick and a brilliant half century from Yuvaraj Singh didn't prove enough as Kings XI fell short by 8 runs against Banglore Royal Challengers. With Pieterson returning home for national duties, Kumble took over the mantle as Royal Challenger's captain and began on a good note winning the toss and electing to bat first. Jesse Ryder's terrible run in the IPL continued as he got out again with a single digit score. Yusuf Abdulla removed Bishnoi(18) and Goswami(10) and Banglore were reduced to 38/3. Kallis and Uthappa got a partnership going and when they looked dangerous, captain Yuvaraj Singh striked gold claiming a hat-trick. Uthappa and Kallis fell in the last two balls of the twelveth over and the dangerous Mark Boucher was dismissed the first ball of fourteenth over. With the scoreboard reading 84/6, Van der Merwe came to Banglore's rescue adding a valuble 35 runs of just 19 balls which powered Banglore to a moderate 145. Yusuf Abullah clinched the purple cap claiming 4 wickets and taking his wicket tally of this tournament to 13.


Kings XI started off their run chase brilliantly with Yuvaraj going great guns scoring 50 of 34 balls. He added 70 runs for the first wicket along with K Goel and got out just before commencement of strategic time out. The post strategic time out period proved to be disastrous for Kings XI as they kept loosing wickets regularly and looked lost in their run chase. The strong middle order containing the likes ot Katich, Sangakara and Jayawardane didn't click and eventually Punjab managed only 137 runs on the board. The Challengers bowling effort was lead by their captain Anil Kumble who returned with the figures of 2/25. He was ably supported by Kumar and Van der Merwe who also grabbed two wickets each.

Toss:
Banglore Royal Challenger won the toss and elected to bat

Teams:
Banglore Royal Challengers
J Kallis, S Goswami, J Ryder, M Boucher, Van der Merwe, V Kohli, R Uthappa, P Kumar, R Bishnoi, KP Appanna, A Kumble
Kings XI Punjab
Yuvaraj Singh, K Goel, M Jayawardane, K Sangakara, S Katich, I Pathan, P Chawla, R Powar, TM Srivatsava, VS Malik, Yusuf Abdulla

Brief Scores:
Banglore Royal Challengers - 145/9 in 19.5 overs(Van der Merwe - 35, J Kallis - 27, Y Abdulla - 4/36, Yuvaraj Singh - 3/22)
Kings XI Punjab - 137/7 in 20 overs(Yuvaraj Singh - 50, K Goel - 20, Van der Merwe - 2/22, A Kumble - 2/25)

Result:
Banglore Royal Challengers won the match by 8 runs