RCB humbled at Delhi

Collingwood, Mishra script Delhi Daredevils 37-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore

Match Report: Match-35: Delhi Daredevils vs Royals Challengers Bangalore, Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, New Delhi, 4th April, 2010

New Delhi, April 4: Paul Collingwood’s power-packed 46-ball 75 (7x6) and leg spinner Amit Mishra’s three wicket haul helped Delhi Daredevils to script an impressive 37-run win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Match 35 at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Sunday. With this win, Delhi Daredevils managed to dislodge the Royal Challengers Bangalore to take the second spot on the leader board with 12 points.

Delhi Daredevils were too good for Royal Challengers. They made 184/5 and then contained the visitors to 147/9. For Delhi Daredevils, it was their sixth win while Royal Challengers Bangalore slipped to their fourth defeat and are now placed at the third spot in the league points table. Amit Mishra also managed to get a hold of the popular Purple Cap with the three wicket haul, which took his tally of wickets in the IPL 2010 to a total of 14. Close on Mishra’s heels for the prestigious Purple Cap are two other spinners namely the left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (Deccan Chargers) and M Muralitharan (Chennai Super Kings), both of whom are on 12 wickets a piece.

Delhi Daredevils were off to a brisk start. Virender Sehwag, who cut lose in Anil Kumble’s second over by hitting 14 runs, but was out in the fifth over after scoring a 22-ball 35 (5x4, 2x6). He was bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun. Delhi Daredevils lost their second wicket at 54 with skipper Gautam Gambhir being run out for 1. Left-hander David Warner (33, 22 balls), who slammed two sixes, tried for a third one but was held at long-on off Kumble. Royal Challengers Bangalore then went on to capture the fourth wicket, when Cameron White pulled off a diving catch at covers to dismiss the dangerous Dinesh Karthik to give left-arm spinner KP Appanna his first wicket.

Appanna got his second wicket as Kedar Jadhav was stumped and Delhi Daredevils were in a spot of bother. But England all-rounder Paul Collingwood was in tremendous touch. He clubbed as many as seven sixes in his scintillating unbeaten 46-ball 75. Collingwood punished the Royal Challengers Bangalore attack with some power-packed hitting that put Delhi Daredevils on the road to recovery. Thanks to Collingwood’s lusty hitting, Delhi Daredevils put up a challenging total of 184/5. The last five overs went for 59 runs.

Kumble, who opened the bowling in a strategic move, was spot on from the word go and returned with figures of 1 for 33. Left arm spinner Appanna was impressive in his four overs. Royals Challengers Bangalore rested South African fast bowler Dale Steyn. The hard-hitting Kiwi - Ross Taylor got a look in this match, as did his compatriot and captain Daniel Vettori who turned out for the Delhi Daredevils. Opener Manish Pandey too sat on the sidelines for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra struck in the fourth over to capture his 12th wicket of the tournament. Cameron White of Australia who came out to open with Orange Cap holder Jacques Kallis, was superbly taken at long off. Left arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan got rid of the dangerous KP Pietersen and the explosive Robin Uthappa in successive overs. Pietersen, the man of the match against Kings XI Punjab, was yorked by Sangwan for 16. In Sangwan’s next over, he removed Uthappa (12) as the athletic Warner took a diving catch at long on. Taylor raced off to a 10-ball 22, including three sixes in one over off Mishra, fell lbw to a slower from Rajat Bhatia.

The solid Kallis continued to grind his runs and reached his fifth 50 of the tournament in 38 balls. But the South African all-rounder was out four runs later, caught in the deep by Collingwood. Kallis, who has so far scored 425 runs, struck five fours and one six in his 42-ball 54. Royal Challengers Bangalorewere under pressure at 118/5 in 15.5 overs. It became 134/6 when Lankan seamer F Maharoof breached Virat Kohli defence. Vettori bagged his first wicket, disturbing Vinay Kumar’s stumps and Royal Challengers’ innings was in disarray.