Shane Watson did the star turn as Rajasthan Royals stormed into the final of the Indian Premier League , beating Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in the first semi-final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Friday night.
The Australia all-rounder first hit a breezy 52 as the Royals put up a challenging 192 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs and then destroyed the Delhi top order.
In a triple strike he had the top three Delhi batsmen -- Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan -- dismissed cheaply.
Reduced to 24 for 3, Delhi never recovered and lost wickets at regular intervals. Watson finished with figures of 3 for 10 in three overs as Delhi Daredevils were dismissed for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.
Munaf Patel , who was omitted from the ODI squads for Bangladesh and Pakistan tours, claimed 3 for 16 and Shane Warne 2 for 21 to hasten Rajasthan's passage to the final.
Rajasthan Royals take on the winners of Saturday's second semi-final between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings .
Delhi began their run-chase on a poor note as Sehwag (3) pulled a ball wide of the stumps from Watson and was caught by Sohail Tanvir at deep mid-wicket in the second over.
Gambhir (11) and left-handed Dhawan (5), who both showed good form earlier in the tournament, perished in quick succession after enabling Delhi make a partial recovery.
Gambhir slashed Watson off backfoot and was caught at cover point while Dhawan pulled the Aussie straight to short mid-wicket to leave Delhi gasping at 24 for three.
Watson's first three-over spell read a superb three for 10 and if Delhi had hopes of staging a fight-back they were thwarted by the dismissal of Manoj Tiwary (0), four runs later, off Munaf Patel.
It was a regular procession of batsmen thereafter.
Tillakratne Dilshan top-scored with 33 in 22 balls -- inclusive of a six and five fours -- before being seventh out at 76 in the 13th over.
Earlier, Yusuf Pathan celebrated his Team India inclusion with a whirlwind 45. The hard-hitting Pathan, named in the Indian 15 for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and Asia Cup in Pakistan earlier in the day, creamed the hapless Delhi attack, which included Glenn McGrath, hitting four sixes and three fours in his 21-ball knock.
The 25-year-old Baroda all-rounder took over the attacking reins from all-rounder Watson, who stroked his way to a fine half century in 29 balls, including four sixes and three fours, after openers Graeme Smith (25 in 21 balls) and Swapnil Asnodkar (39 in 21 balls) launched the innings on a sound note.
Watson and Pathan's efforts helped Rajasthan Royals add 109 runs in the last 10 overs after Smith and the pint-sized Asnodkar put on 65 runs in 40 balls at the start.
Watson was involved in a breezy 52 runs partnership off 29 balls with Mohd Kaif (12) after Rajasthan Royals suddenly slipped to 76 for 3 from 65 without loss.
The innings started slowly as Smith was hampered by a pulled muscle while going for a run. But Asnodkar, who often took the aerial route and hit a six and six fours, boosted the run-rate.
The right-hander, after edging McGrath for his first four in the third over, struck Mohd Asif for three fours in the fourth over -- a slash, a lofted off drive and a hook ? to give the innings the much-needed push.
Smith then took over and slammed McGrath for three consecutive fours as the score raced to 43 for no loss in five overs.
Asnodkar had a lucky escape off the first ball of V Yo Mahesh's spell when Farveez Maharoof dropped a sitter at long leg. He celebrated the escape by swinging the same bowler to the same area for a six to raise the 50 of the innings in only 33 balls.
Maharoof made amends by sending back both the Rajasthan openers with the last three balls of his first over.
Smith was caught flicking at deep square leg by a diving Shikhar Dhawan and then Asnodkar was dismissed at the same score of 65, caught at backward point off the Sri Lankan.
Maharoof also accounted for Sohail Tanvir, promoted up the order by his skipper, Shane Warne, as a pinch-hitter, when he miscued a swing to leg and the ball ballooned behind to stumper Dinesh Karthik .
From 65 for no loss, Rajasthan were reduced to 76 for three in the space of 14 balls. But the arrival of Watson brought about another run-spree as the Aussie slammed Yo Mahesh for a four and two sixes in his third over after change of ends to raise the 100 in 65 balls after the first ten overs had yielded 83 runs.
Watson then lofted leg spinner Amit Mishra for a six over long on to keep the scoring on a healthy note by adding 52 runs in 29 balls for the fourth wicket with Kaif to take the total past 125.
Kaif looked out of touch and was clean bowled when he tried a leg side heave off Mishra and missed the ball completely.
Pathan commenced his innings in whirlwind fashion by hoisting Mishra for successive sixes. Later he hit McGrath for a flat six over long on before being run out while going for the second run.
The track did not offer the pace bowlers the same sort of bounce and pace that was evident in previous matches held at the same stadium. Asif was carted around for 21 runs in his first two overs while McGrath gave away 22 in his first three.
Yo Mahesh proved very expensive and gave away 50 runs for two late wickets in his four overs.
Maharoof took three for 34 to emerge as the most successful bowler while Mishra claimed 2 for 37.
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(214)
-
▼
May
(83)
- Chennai beat Punjab, enter final
- Clinical Chennai send Punjab packing
- Chennai Super Kings set up a Royals date
- Rajasthan crush Delhi by 105 runs
- Delhi trampled by 105 runs; Royal final guaranteed
- Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils, 1st semi-fina...
- IPL 1st Semifinal: Delhi blown away, Rajasthan in ...
- IPL, 1st SF: Watson dominates in Royals win
- Watson pilots Rajasthan Royals into IPL final
- Rajasthan trounce Delhi to enter final
- Royals continue their ruthless march
- Delhi drubbed as Watson steers Jaipur into the finals
- Royals drub Daredevils, enter IPL final
- Daredevils demolised by Royals
- IPL Match 41: Kolkata v Chennai (Chennai Super Kin...
- IPL - 41st Match - Kolkata KN v Chennai SK - Kolka...
- IPL - 40th Match - Delhi DD v KXI Punjab - Delhi B...
- IPL - 40th Match - Delhi DD v KXI Punjab - Punjab ...
- IPL Match 39th: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Rajasthan ...
- IPL Match 39th : Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore...
- IPL 38th Match : Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight ...
- IPL Match 38 : Jaysuriya vs Shoaib (22 runs from 5...
- IPL Match 37th: Daredevils tame Chargers to snap l...
- IPL Match 37th : Gambhir 79 of 48 Balls, Delhi ru...
- IPL | Match 37th | Delhi Dare Devils Innings
- IPL 37th Match: Delhi Daredevils Vs Deccan Charger...
- IPL 36th Match: Presentation Ceremony - Mumbai vs ...
- IPL Match 36th: Sizzling Jayasuriya Pounds Chennai...
- IPL 35th Match: Rawalpindi knight too strong for D...
- IPL 35th Match: (Shoaib's stupendous IPL debut) Kn...
- IPL Match 35th: Kolkata pull off a sensational win
- IPL Match 35th: Shoaib scripts memorable comeback
- IPL Match 34: Misbah Ul Haq smashes 21 runs off 8 ...
- IPL Match 34: Bangalore lose again as Shaun Marsh ...
- IPL Match 34: Marsh takes Kings to 9-wicket win (7...
- IPL Match 33rd: Shane Watson stars in Royals' win
- IPL Match 33rd: Rajasthan beat Delhi by 3 wickets
- IPL Match 32nd : Knight Riders beat Chargers by 23...
- IPL Match 32nd: Ganguly's blast power guides Knigh...
- Balaji spells doom for Kings XI Punjab (IPL Match ...
- Balaji shines with a hat-trick in Chennai Super Ki...
- Balaji hat-trick sinks Mohali (1st Innings Highlig...
- Mind it, its Gony not Dhoni (IPL Cricket Highlight...
- Rajasthan humble Deccan Chargers by 8 wickets (IPL...
- Warne, Pathan spell doom for Hyderabad yet again (...
- IPL: Kolkata edge narrow win (29th IPL Match: Kolk...
- Kolkata clinch cliffhanger, beat Bangalore by 5 ru...
- Knight Riders beat Bangalore by five runs ( IPL Ma...
- Super Kings shock Delhi, win by four wickets (IPL ...
- Bowling last over with Malik was collective decisi...
- Chennai edge out Delhi in last-ball finish (Delhi ...
- No royal treatment for the Royals (Mumbai Indians ...
- Mumbai end Jaipur's win streak, start theirs (Mumb...
- Mumbai Indians thrash Rajasthan Royals by 7 wicket...
- Hyderabad beat Chennai to score second win (Afridi...
- Gilly leads from front (IPL Match 26: R.P Singh Sh...
- Chargers claw up to sixth place (IPL Matc 26: Chen...
- Kings XI win by 6 wickets against Challengers (IPL...
- Mohali thrash Bangalore by six wickets (Royal Chal...
- Tanvir bowls Rajasthan to victory (2nd Innings hig...
- Sensational Best -Sohail Tanveer (IPL 24th Match: ...
- Jaipur take top spot after Tanvir heroics (IPL Mat...
- Jubilant Mumbai Indians upset Delhi Daredevils (IP...
- Pollock leads from the front (IPL-Match-23 Mumbai ...
- Mumbai Indians register second win in IPL (Mumbai ...
- 'Kings' on cloud nine (IPL Match 22 Kings XI Punja...
- Kings XI prevail in close contest (Kings XI Full H...
- Punjab see off tame Knight Riders (IPL - 22nd Matc...
- Nerveless Kumble secures Bangalore win (Royal Chal...
- Royal Challengers beat Deccan Chargers by 3 runs (...
- Dravid credits bowlers for narrow win (Bangalore R...
- Sehwag leads Daredevils to victory (Chennai v Delh...
- Daredevils trip Super Kings (delhi daredevil innin...
- Super Kings suffer first defeat (DareDevils Beats ...
- 19th Match IPL DC Vs KXIP HQ PT2
- 19th Match IPL DC Vs KXIP HQ
- IPL 19th Match Deccan Cs v KXI Punjab - Deccan Bat...
- IPL:19th Match Deccan Chargers Highlights
- IPL: Match 18 Rajasthan v Kolkata Riders - Short H...
- Warne - Ganguly Incident - 18th Match IPL
- IPL 18th Match - Rajasthan Royals v Kolkata Knight...
- IPL:18th match Kolkata Knight Riders Highlights
- IPL:18th match Kolkata Knight Riders Highlights
-
▼
May
(83)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment