Hetmyer half-century fails to prevent RCB win
AHMEDABAD, India (CMC) — Shimron Hetmyer’s rapid half-century went in vain as Delhi Capitals agonisingly missed out in a compelling run chase, going down by a single run to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here yesterday.
In pursuit of 172 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Capitals got an unbeaten 58 from Captain Rishabh Pant and a superb unbeaten 53 off 25 deliveries from the left-handed Hetmyer.
However, they needed 14 runs off the final over from seamer Mohammed Siraj but managed 12, to slip to only their second defeat in six outings while RCB climbed to the top of the eight-team league with their fifth win six matches.
Sent in earlier, RCB gathered 171 for five off their 20 overs with South African superstar AB de Villiers top-scoring with 75 not out off 42 deliveries to underpin the innings.
Devdutt Padikkal (17) and captain Virat Kohli (12) posted 30 for the opening stand before both perished in the space of two balls in successive overs, leaving Rajat Patidar (31) to add 30 for the third wicket with Australian Glenn Maxwell (25) and a further 54 for the fourth with de Villiers.
Once Patidar fell in the 15th over, de Villiers took responsibility for the innings, pummelling three fours and five sixes first in a 25-run partnership with Washington Sundar (6) and then in a 32-run unbroken stand with Daniel Sams (3 not out).
In reply, Capitals found themselves in trouble at 47 for three in the eighth over before
Pant put on 45 for the fourth wicket with Australian Marcus Stoinis whose 22 came from 17 balls.
When Stoinis was caught at the wicket in the 13th over, Capitals required a further 80 runs at just under 12 runs per over and Hetmyer arrived to partner Pant in an exhilarating stand.
The West Indies star struck two fours and four sixes while Pant faced 48 deliveries and counted half-dozen fours to put their side back in the hunt.
With the required run rate having climbed to nearly 15 ½ per over, Hetmyer tore into New Zealander Kyle Jamieson in the 18th over, carting the lanky seamer for three massive leg-side sixes in an over which gushed 21 runs.
Hetmyer reached his half-century off 23 balls in the next over with a single but faced only a single ball in the final over as Pant tried in vain to get his side over the line.