Royals coast to seven-wicket win (IPL 12th match bangalore innings highlights)

Australian allrounder Shane Watson hit a fluent unbeaten 61 to take Rajasthan Royals to an easy seven-wicket win with 2.5 overs to spare against Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL tie played at M Chimnaswamy stadium.

After putting the visitors in the right track by restricting Bangalore to a modest 135 for eight by claiming two quick wickets, the Queenslander hit his second successive half century, both match-winning knocks, to help Rajasthan earn their third successive win in four matches.

Bangalore crashed to their second defeat and now has just one win in three matches.

He added a commanding 104 for the third wicket with South African skipper Graeme Smith 49 (42b, 8x4) to give no chance for the home team to make something out of its modest score.

Watson had hit a match winning half century against Deccan Chargers just two days ago. On Saturday, the Aussie was again at his fluent best and was in charge of the Rajasthan innings playing without taking risks in the beginning and then opened out in style. He hit 26 runs off a Praveen Kumar over, cracking five boundaries and a huge six in the 14th over of the innings to take the visitors to the doorstep of a comfortable victory.

Chasing a modest 136 to win, by and large a small total in view of even 200 that is now achievable in this league as shown by Royals themselves against Laxman’s men, Royals made a negative start losing Mahesh Rawat in the first over and then lost big hitter Yusuf Pathan (21) early with Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Kahan striking in tandem.

However, their success ended at that as the Australia-South African pair took the match away from Rahul Dravid’s men, who dished out a disappointing fare.

Earlier, the Royals bowlers stuck to a good line and made maximum use of the bouncy track to restrict Bangalore to 135 for eight, with Watson and Munaf Patel claiming two wickets apiece.

Royals skipper Shane Warne marshalled his bowlers very well as his batsmen gave him no hiccups what so ever in achieving the winning target.