Jittery RCB lose track again, Sunrisers almost through
CLOSE FINISH Chasing 147, Royal Challengers make heavy weather of modest total to lose by 5 runs
HYDERABAD: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling prowess came to the fore yet again as they made short work of Royal Challengers Bangalore in their IPL 2018 match here on Monday. Chasing 147, RCB finished with 141/6 in 20 overs to lose by five runs.
The win consolidated SRH’S position on top of the table. They now have 16 points from 10 games. On the other hand, RCB will have to win their next four matches and hope other results go their way to qualify for playoffs.
There has been very little beyond Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in RCB’S batting this IPL. It was the same on Monday. Kohli came to the crease after Parthiv Patel departed in the third over. His fluent strokes on a slow pitch were a treat to watch as he went after the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Siddarth Kaul.
Though Manan Vohra departed in the eighth over, RCB looked on course with Kohli and AB de Villiers at the crease.
RCB reached 71/2 in nine overs. However, things complicated as Shakib and Rashid Khan struck i n successive overs removing Kohli and De Villiers respectively.
First, Kohli was caught by Yusuf Pathan at short third man. Yusuf had to stretch himself to take the catch.
Then, De Villiers was bowled by Rashid while attempting a cut. Moeen Ali followed them in the 12th over as RCB looked jittery.
Earlier, SRH’S batting was all about captain Kane Williamson (56), as has been the story in most of their matches so far. Except Shakib Al Hasan (35), none of the other batmen could cross 15 as SRH slumped to yet another sub- 150 total.
After SRH lost openers Alex Hales (5) and Shikhar Dhawan (13) inside powerplay, it was time for Williamson to take charge. On a slow wicket with variable bounce, he took his time to settle down as SRH lost their third wicket, of Manish Pandey (5), in the ninth over.
There was a brief lull as Williamson and Shakib concentrated on picking singles and twos. It was only in the 14th over by Umesh that Williamson broke the shackles with a four and a six at square leg. He followed it up with another off Chahal at midwicket en route to completing his fifth half-century of IPL 2018.
Williamson and Shakib’s 47-ball 64-run fourth wicket stand ended in the 16th over when the SRH skipper was caught by Mandeep at backward square leg off Umesh while trying to go for a wild heave.
Shakib followed soon after as Tim Southee and Mohammed Siraj cleaned up the lower order. SRH became the first team to be all out twice this season.