David Warner’s 45-ball 90 helped Sunrisers Hyderabad chase down 186 against Chennai Super Kings in a must-win game. (BCCI)
Australian maverick David Warner produced a magnificent innings of 90 off 45 balls to underpin a 186-run chase and help Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets in Ranchi last night.
Given a target of 9.3 to keep alive their slim hopes of making the play-offs, Warner wasted no time in taking the lead role as he and Shikhar Dhawan put on 64 in the power play, to which Dhawan contributed 11.
Warner, the man of the match, hammered 12 fours and three sixes, bringing up the hundred in 60 balls. He was undone by a very ordinary delivery, from debutant John Hastings, playing on when the ball kept low and took the bottom edge.
The foundation had been laid. Dhawan made an unbeaten 64, aided by Naman Ojha (19), at a less frenetic but effective pace to take the score to 168 when Ojha was taken on the boundary with 18 needed off 16 balls for a well-deserved victory. The loss of Aaron Finch (7) and Darren Sammy (0) were but mere interruptions.
The Super Kings, who have already qualified for the play-offs, would have fancied their chances of taking top spot when they set the impressive target on their home ground. Dwayne Smith had set the ball rolling with 47 off 28 balls (4x6, 4x4), while Mike Hussey and MS Dhoni provided the impetus with a stand of 108, smashing 85 off the last six overs, including 24 off Dale Steyn’s last over.
Sunrisers captain Darren Sammy felt that he would gain some advantage on a slightly damp pitch, but Smith and Faf du Plessis, promoted to opener for this match, soon showed him the error of his ways, each whacking three fours in the first two overs.
At 32 after three overs, Sammy had to change the pace and brought on legspinner Karn Sharma, who was immediately rewarded, but not with his bowling. He stretched out a finger to Smith’s powerful straight drive, and Du Plessis was run out while backing up.
Karn Sharma struck again in a more orthodox way the following over. Having seen Smith drive another six over long-on, which brought him to 500 runs, he sent down the perfect googly to trap the rampant West Indian lbw. Given his strike rate, and the brake he had applied to the scoring rate, the leggy was kept on, and repaid the faith by inducing Suresh Raina into rash shot which was taken at long-on.
The Kings had been reined in to a more manageable 81 for three after 10. But then Hussey (50 off 33 balls) and Dhoni (57 off 41) came in to unleash their full repertoire of strokes.
The Sunrisers, now on 12 points will still need to beat Kolkata to have a mathematical chance of taking the last play-off slot available, so long as the Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians shoot blanks in their final two games.
Bookies approach two players
Kolkata: The interim president of the Indian Premier League Sunil Gavaskar yesterday admitted that two cricketers were approached by the bookies and the matter has been reported to the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit officials (ACSU).
Asked if players have been approached during this year’s IPL, Gavaskar replied, “There have been a couple and it’s been reported to ACU. They are looking into it.”
The batting legend also said that issue regarding Kiwi Brendon McCullum being approached by the bookies in 2008 is something to be concerned about but assured that no leak as far as confidentiality of cricketer’s discussions with ACSU has happened from IPL.
“I can assure you that the leak did not come from the IPL. It’s an issue to be concerned. I’ve to say we have got an Integrity Officer (IO) attached with every team this time. It has made it a lot easier for players to communicate,” Gavaskar told the mediapersons.
“Sometimes players didn’t know what to do. Okay there was a number to contact. But a lot of people (players) were thinking if you contact, does your number come under their list. The anonimity and confidentiality aspect was something the players were not sure about. Now with the IO attached to every team it has become a lot of easier.”