Sunrisers rack IPL record total of 287-3 and down Challengers by only 25 runs CRICKET
Victory lifts batting-heavy Hyderabad into the top four
BENGALURU, India, April 16, (AP): Sunrisers Hyderabad racked a record Indian Premier League total of 287-3 and beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by only 25 runs.
Travis Head’s 102, the fourth fastest century in IPL history off 39 balls, propelled Hyderabad to better its own IPL record of 277-3 set this season against Mumbai Indians.
Bengaluru looked like it was crashing to a heavy defeat at 181-6 in the 15th over until Dinesh Karthik plundered 83 off 35 balls to finish on 262-7 and narrow their defeat.
The aggregate of 549 runs was easily the highest in IPL history.
Head’s blistering century included eight sixes and nine fours. The Australian left-hander pounded the fast bowlers, notably Lockie Ferguson (252), who had a forgetful first game of the season as Bengaluru’s ploy not to go with a specialist spinner backfired.
Head raised his half-century off 20 balls and completed his century off the next 19 balls. Head attempted another big shot off Ferguson and holed out to Faf du Plessis at mid-off.
Hyderabad didn’t change gears as Heinrich Klassen added 67, including a 23-ball half-century, Abdul Salam an unbeaten 37, and Aiden Markram an unbeaten 32. They smashed 46 runs off the last two overs bowled by Reece Topley (1-68) and Vijaykumar Vyshak (0-64).
In the chase, Du Plessis (62) and
Virat Kohli (42) helped the home team to a rollicking start of 79 in the batting power play.
Hyderabad struck through skipper Pat Cummins (3-43) and leg-spinner Mayank Markande (2-46).
Kohli survived early when spinner Abhishek Sharma couldn’t hold onto a return catch in the first over. But Kohli was clean-bowled by Markande’s slow googly.
Du Plessis, who hit four sixes and seven fours, was caught down the leg side when he attempted a pull shot against Cummins.
Karthik took charge and bludgeoned seven sixes and five boundaries before he got a thin edge in the penultimate over. Anuj Rawat (25 not out) hit four boundaries in the last over against Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0-60) in a nightmarish game for bowlers.
The victory lifted batting-heavy Hyderabad into the top four, while Bengaluru suffered a sixth defeat in seven games.
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AUSTRALIA: Former Australian test cricketer Michael Slater has been remanded in custody while awaiting trial on 19 charges relating to domestic violence, stalking and breaches of bail.
The 54-year-old Slater was refused bail Tuesday when he appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court, about an hour north of Brisbane in Queensland state, charged with unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking into a dwelling with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and choking or suffocation.
He was arrested Friday for the alleged offenses between Dec. 5 and April 12, and on 10 counts of contravening a domestic violence order.
Slater made his debut for Australia in 1993 and played 73 test matches, scoring 5,312 runs at an average of almost 43. He also played 42 limitedovers internationals before retiring from professional cricket in 2004 and launching a lengthy career in television commentary.
He was remanded in custody until his next appearance in the same court on May 31.
The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that Slater collapsed to the floor and had to be helped up by security staff when Magistrate Raelene
Ellis denied his bail application. In 2022, Slater had charges of domestic violence dismissed on mental health grounds in a Sydney local court, but was ordered to undergo a 12-month treatment plan under the care of a doctor.