Monday 27 May 2013

PEPSI IPL 2013 Eliminator Match: RR vs SRH

Rajasthan Royals progressed to the second Qualifier after they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by four wickets in the eliminator at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. Chasing 133, Rahul Dravid got RR rolling with two gorgeous strokes through mid-wicket off Dale Steyn.

Ishant Sharma got SRH the first breakthrough as Dravid (12) was caught by Karan Sharma of a leading edge. Shane Watson hit two boundaries off Ishant Sharma in the fourth over and then Ajinkya Rahane hit a six off Ishant Sharma before Watson smashed two boundaries. RR made 44 from their Power Play.

Watson (24) was sent back by Karan Sharma as Darren Sammy pulled off a stunning catch at the mid-wicket boundary. Sammy then knocked back Dishant Yagnik's (0) off-stump. The collapse continued as Rahane (18) was deceived in flight, reached out and chipped one straight back to Amit Mishra.

Stuart Binny (2) was bowled by Sammy in the tenth over. At the halfway stage, RR were 57 for five, still requiring 76 runs. Brad Hodge plundered 18 runs off Karan Sharma in the 14th over as he hit two sixes and a boundary. Needing 34 needed from 30 balls, Steyn trapped Sanju Viswanadh (10) leg before.

Faulkner (11*) struck a couple boundaries to reduce the equation to 15 from the last two overs. Thisara Perera bowled a tight 19th over, conceding only five runs, to leave RR to score 10 off the last over. Hodge (54*) sealed the match with two massive sixes as RR reached the target with four balls remaining.

Earlier, SRH won the toss and elected to bat. RR struck first blood as Parthiv Patel (1) miscued Vikramjeet Malik to Viswanadh in the very first over. Malik struck again as Hanuma Vihari (1) hit one straight to Kevon Cooper at mid-on to leave SRH two down in the third over. Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White consolidated, adding 52 runs.

White (31) slammed a boundary off Siddharth Trivedi before perishing the next ball caught by Cooper. After a few quiet overs, Sammy got a move on as he slammed a six off Watson. Dhawan (33) trying to improvise, only managed to scoop Faulkner to Trivedi at short fine-leg.

In the 17th over, Sammy launched Cooper for a six, before Perera followed suit and put him into the crowd. Sammy (29) then pulled Watson for a six before he was run out, courtesy a brilliant throw from the deep. Perera (11) then departed edging one off Watson to the wicket-keeper. SRH eventually finished at 132 for seven.

Brad Hodge




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