Finch, Tye hand RCB another rout
BANGALORE:Andrew Tye returned with a three-wicket haul whereas Aron Finch slammed a quick fire half-century to help Gujarat Lions notch up a facile seven-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL encounter here on Thursday night.
Finch didn’t bother the kind of attack from the Royal Challengers Bangalore and went on hammering one of the fastest half-century of the IPL-10, striking 72 in 34 balls with the help of five fours and six sixes as Gujarat Lions romped home in 13.5 overs while chasing 135 to win.
Gujarat Lions were two for 23 when Finch came to bat in the middle at a full-house Chinnaswamy Stadium, and along with skipper Suresh Raina added valuable 92-run for the thirdwicket. Raina, who started a bit slow, remained unbeaten on 34, which came off 30 balls with the help of four boundaries and a six. Ravindra Jadeja also remained unbeaten on eight.
Earlier, Andrew Tye triggered a top-order collapse as Royal Challengers Bangalore were bowled out for 134. Tye, who had taken a hat-trick on IPL debut against Rising Pune Supergiant at Rajkot, struck twice in two balls and returned with figures of 4-0-12-3 to leave the hosts at 22-3 in the fifth over.
Besides Tye, Ravindra Jadeja (2/28) snapped two wickets and Basil Thampi (1/34) and Ankit Soni (1/28) picked up one wicket each as Lions dished out a disciplined bowling performance.
Royal Challengers Bangalore, who were bundled out for 49 -the lowest total in IPL history -by Kolkata Knight Riders two days ago, were left tottering at 61-5 in 10 overs. For the hosts, Pawan Negi (32) and Kedar Jadhav (31) were the top scorers.
After an economical opening over by Nathu Singh, Kohli hit the first boundary for Bangalore when he flicked a Basil Thampi delivery for six over square leg in the next over.
Gayle too picked up a four behind point in the last ball of the next over by Nathu as RCB reached 17-0 in three overs. With Thampi keeping the pressure in the next over, a frustrated Kohli ended up hitting straight to Aaron Finch at short fine leg as RCB lost their first wicket.
Gayle then nicked an Andrew Tye delivery straight to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik as RCB lost both their openers inside the powerplay.
Tye, who had taken a hat-trick on IPL debut against Rising Pune Supergiant at Rajkot, created another hat-trick opportunity when he dismissed next batsman Travis Head in similar fashion with skipper Raina taking the catch this time at wide slip.
At 22-3, Kedar Jadhav (31) joined AB de Villiers and the 32-year-old from Maharashtra blasted three successive fours off Thampi in the next over as RCB scored 35-3 in the first six overs.
Jadhav hit another four off Ravindra Jadeja and then clobbered debutant leg-spinner Ankit Soni for a six over midwicket to bring up the fifty for Bangalore.
However, Jadeja cleaned up Jadhav in the next over when the batsman dragged one on to his stumps as RCB slumped to 58 for 4 in 9 overs.
The Saurashtra all-rounder then produced a direct hit to send back de Villiers, who had in a horrible mix-up with newman Mandeep Singh as RCB looked down the barrel, losing half their side for 60 in the 10th over.
Negi (32) then picked up successive fours off Jadeja in the 11th over before blasting Soni for a couple of sixes in the 14th over to bring up the team 100.