Press Trust of India
Mumbai, May 7: SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) kept their play-off hopes alive by pulling off a well-deserved seven-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a rousing IPL-VIII match here Thursday at the Brabourne Stadium.
Riding on contrasting fifties from Shikhar Dhawan (54, 35b, 6×4, 2×6) and Eoin Morgan (68, 28b, 4×4, 5×6), SRH posted a mammoth 201 for 4 in 20 overs.
Chasing the formidable target, Royals lost in-form batsman Ajinkya Rahane (eight) cheaply but a superb innings of 68 (40b, 9×4, 2×6) from Steve Smith brought them back in contention. And then a late-order flourish from James Faulkner (30, 19b, 2×4, 2×6), Sanju Samson (21, 10b, 3×6) and Chris Morris (34 n o, 11b, 2×4, 3×6) brought the hosts in touching distance of victory, which was not to be.
Put in to bat, SRH were off to a fine start with Dhawan and captain David Warner (24) stitching together a 48-run stand. However, Shane Watson (2/36) broke the stand when he had Warner caught behind.
However, the innings got momentum with the arrival of Morgan at the crease. The southpaw hit Watson for a huge six before Dhawan slog-swept off-spinner Deepak Hooda (0-34) over the ropes to raise his 50 in 33 balls. Dhawan however, fell, bowled by Faulkner trying to reverse sweep the left-arm pacer.
Irish-born Morgan was joined by Ravi Bopara and the two went on the offensive in the last five overs during which the score rattled along.
Morgan singled out Tambe, whose first three overs cost only 14 runs by carting the leg spinner for two sixes, a four and a couple in his last over. He lofted Faulkner for a straight six to reach 50 off 23 balls.
When Watson came on to bowl towards the end, Morgan made the ball soar over long on for his fifth six but then holed out to long off in the same over to bring to an end the fourth-wicket partnership with Bopara worth 53 in 20 balls.
Chasing the imposing score, Royals were pegged back when they lost Rahane and Watson in quick succession. By the eighth over RR were 45 for three and the game looked all but over. But Smith had other ideas.
The Australian batsman showed his class as he cover-drove and pulled Henriques for three boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving.
Bopara struck a timely blow to stop Smith from running away with the game – clean bowling the batsman on an attempted cut shot after having been pulled for fours in two previous deliveries in the 15th over. With his departure hopes faded for the Royals.
Brief scores: SRH 201 for 4 (Eoin Morgan 63, Shikhar Dhawan 54, Shane Watson 2/36) beat RR 194 for 7 (Steve Smith 68, Chris Morris 34 n o, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/44) by seven runs.
