|
Smith walks and is stumped!
07/05/2008 20:40 - (SA)
Mumbai - The Mumbai Indians easily knocked off a target of 104 runs to win their Indian Premier League match against the Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The Rajasthan batsmen never got into gear as they crashed to 103 all out, which pretty much wrecked their chances on a good pitch.
And although Rajasthan seamers Shane Watson, Sohail Tanveer and Siddharth Trivedi would all put ticks next to their performances, Mumbai had little trouble keeping up with the required run-rate.
Watson picked up two wickets, having opener Sanath Jayasuriya (18) caught at deep square-leg and Dwayne Bravo (one) well-held at short midwicket by Swapnil Asnodkar, and Shane Warne bowled Yogesh Takawale (27) in his first over to cause some indecision at 73 for three after 12 overs.
But Robin Uthappa scored 34 not out, hitting four fours and a six in 21 balls, to see Mumbai home in the 16th over.
Earlier, the Rajasthan Royals found there was no escaping from a tight all-round bowling performance from the Mumbai Indians.
Mumbai own a disciplined, accurate seam attack and Rajasthan, collapsing under the pressure, were all gone in just 16.2 overs.
Shaun Pollock got the ball rolling - he finished with typically solid figures of one for 19 in three overs - by getting the better of national captain Graeme Smith.
Smith did not look back
Pollock cramped Smith, who shuffled forward and outside leg-stump to try and create space, the ball coming off the pad as the left-hander missed a drive.
Wicketkeeper Takawale failed to gather the ball but Smith, who didn't bother to look back, presumably because he thought he had been bowled, just kept walking and was eventually stumped for five.
Yusuf Pathan (one) was beaten lock, stock and barrel by Ashish Nehra five balls later and, although Watson (32) and Asnodkar (39) took a heavy toll on the bowlers in the next few overs, more trouble lay ahead for the Royals.
A wild slog across the line against Bravo ended Watson's 20-ball innings and medium-pacers Rohan Raje and Dhawal Kulkarni then produced a top-class burst of four for 23 in the next five overs.
Kulkarni had conceded 17 runs in his first over earlier in the innings, but he claimed a wicket with his first ball back when a good straight bouncer had a flapping Ravindra Jadeja caught behind for a duck.
He removed Shane Warne (seven) in his next over with a copybook dismissal as he took two for four in his next two overs.
Asnodkar, who hit three fours and a six off 36 balls, was eventually caught off a Raje delivery that was a yard slower and Rajasthan were then bowled out for the first time in the tournament as their tail was exposed.
Nehra (three for 13) claimed two more wickets and Bravo (two for 12) one as Rajasthan posted the second-lowest total of the IPL so far.
Raje was the other bowler who enjoyed success with two for 19.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians - Yogesh Takawale, Sanath Jayasuriya, Dominic Thornely, Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo, Abhishek Nayar, Shaun Pollock, Saurabh Tiwary, Rohan Raje, Ashish Nehra, Dhawal Kulkarni.
Rajasthan Royals - Graeme Smith, Swapnil Asnodkar, Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Mohammad Kaif, Ravindra Jadeja, Shane Warne, Mahesh Rawat, Sohail Tanveer, Siddharth Trivedi, Munaf Patel.
|
Rugby
