D/L method leaves SRH on the brink of exit
Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody slammed the Duckworth-Lewis method and called for its review after losing their rain-curtailed match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday. The bone of contention for Moody was how RCB were allotted six overs at an asking rate that Sunrisers had maintained for 11 overs.
Hyderabad had scored 135 in 11 overs after a delayed start but when rain intervened again RCB were set a target of 81 from six overs. Chris Gayle’s 10-ball 35 gave RCB the perfect start but their chase looked in danger when Moises Henriques dismissed Gayle and AB de Villiers in two successive deliveries. But Virat Kohli’s innings sealed victory off the penultimate ball of the last over after David Warner touched the boundary rope trying to catch him.
Moody felt the loss had left them no option but win Sunday’s match against Mumbai Indians but questioned the D/L method that came into play. “I am still a little disillusioned to how Duckworth-Lewis comes up with the numbers they come up with,” said Moody after the match. “You score the total that you have in 11 overs with three powerplay overs. Then you have a rain interruption. You then have to defend six overs with two powerplay overs with them (RCB) needing a little over 13. That’s basically what you have done for 11 overs and they have got 10 wickets,” said Moody who said despite their defeat he knew Hyderabad hadn’t lost the match.
HYDERABAD:
“Personally I feel that (it should be reviewed). I am not the only one; it’s been talked about for a fair period of time. There’s something that definitely needs to be looked at there. There is an imbalance. You don’t want rain interruptions. But you also don’t want skewed games with a huge disadvantage like that,” said Moody.
Needing a win to stay in the race for the playoffs, RCB didn’t mind a shortened target. “Wherever RCB go, it rains. Four of our games have been affected by rain. In a lot of ways, the rain delay helped us. The rain rule probably worked in our favour. The reduction, 80 off six overs, is difficult, but it’s probably easier than 136 off 11,” admitted RCB coach Daniel Vettori.
Brief scores SRH 135/3 in 11 ovs (Warner 52*, Henriques 57; Wiese 2/20), RCB (tgt: 81 in 6 ovs) 83/4 in 5.5 ovs (Gayle 35, Kohli 44*; Henriques 2/3)