Sunrisers on the ball as Royals lose
For third game in row, SRH showed their bowlers can defend small totals as they won by 11 runs
JAIPUR: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowlers put in yet another magnificent display as they defeated Rajasthan Royals by 11 runs at the Sawai Mansingh stadium on Sunday to go top of the 2018 Indian Premier League points table.
Chasing a modest 152, Rajasthan Royals stayed in the hunt with Ajinkya Rahane’s maiden fifty (65 not out) but he found no support as Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers displayed the aggression that had helped them defend 118 and 132 in the wins over Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab respectively as they secured their third straight win.
RAHANE FIFTY IN VAIN
Rajasthan Royals’ chase suffered an early jolt. Rahul Tripathi’s poor form continued when he played a rash shot and was bowled by Sandeep Sharma.
Sanju Samson (40), Rajasthan Royals’ best batsman, joined skipper Rahane and the duo put the hosts on track. Samson in particular started off brilliantly by hammering two fours and a six off pacer Basil Thampi. Rahane, on the other hand, rotated the strike and struck some crisp boundaries.
The 59-run stand was ended when Samson miscued a pull off Siddarth Kaul’s knuckle ball to midwicket. Yusuf Pathan, who had not bowled at all in the tournament, swung the game Sunrisers’ way when he bowled Ben Stokes (0) in his first over. With two quick wickets, Sunrisers Hyderabad built the pressure.
Spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not play but the team has showed that Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Basil Thampi can hold their own.
Rahane held firm with his maiden fifty but Sunrisers Hyderabad showed their brilliance in the death as they conceded just three boundaries in eight overs. Although Rahane remained not out in the end, the sheer discipline and accuracy of Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers was too hot to handle after a spirited performance with the ball in the first innings.
WILLIAMSON FIFTY
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s total of 151/7 was set up by a brilliant 63 from Kane Williamson and his 92-run stand with Alex Hales (45) after opting to bat.
Shikhar Dhawan (6) fell cheaply to spinner K Gowtham but Hales, making his IPL debut after David Warner was banned following the ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test, and Williamson put the visitors on course for a big score. The Sunrisers skipper hit three fours and a six off Jaydev Unadkat in the 12th over to score his fourth fifty.
Hales displayed confidence and both batsmen capitalised on some sloppy fielding from Rajasthan Royals. Williamson was dropped by Tripathi off Jofra Archer on 11 while Ben Stokes dropped Hales on 25 off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.
However, his dismissal helped Rajasthan Royals pull things back in the death overs, conceding just 31 runs and taking five wickets.
In the end, Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers ensured that it was more than enough.
SRH HAD DEFENDED 118 AND 132 IN THE WINS OVER MUMBAI INDIANS AND KINGS XI PUNJAB RESPECTIVELY AS THEY SECURED THEIR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN.