IPL-4 (11 May): Challengers hammer Rajasthan at Jaipur

Bellevision Media Network

Jaipur, 11 May 2011: Riding on a flying start by openers Gayle and Dilshan, Royal Challengers Bangalore easily met the 147-run target set by Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.

 

Though Dilshan got out early – the only wicket RCB lost -- he hit a hurried 38 and gave a flourishing start to RCB before departing.  Rajasthan opening bowlers Johan Botha and Pankaj Singh gave runs at 10 runs an over in the first five.

 

Gayle and Virat Kohli then stood firm and finished the innings with 3 overs to spare.

 

Earlier, Rajasthan Royals frittered away a good start to settle for a modest 146 for six against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their crucial Indian Premier League match at Sawai Man Singh stadium here today.

 

Opener Rahul Dravid top scored for the host with his 31-ball 37 run knock and his opening partner Shane Watson was the next best batsmen with 29-ball 34.

 

Rajasthan were off to a decent start with Dravid and Watson sharing 73 runs but Bangalore dominated the proceedings after left-arm paceman Sreenath Aravind consumed both the openers in the 10th over.

 

Scoring rate suffered after the double blow as the middle-order failed to carry on the good work and the biggest disappointment was Ross Taylor (13), who yet again failed to make any significant contribution.

 

Aravind (3/34) was the most successful bowler with three wickets, though he was not successful initially.

 

Virat Kohli led Bangalore in the absence of injured Daniel Vettori and the 22-year-old Indian became the youngest captain to lead an IPL side.

 

Earlier, Watson found two boundaries off Aravind and Dravid hit his trademark elegant drives off Zaheer Khan and Charl Langeveldt as Bangalore reached 43 for no loss after six overs after being invited to bat.

 

 

Conditions were good batting as the ball was nicely coming on to the bat and both the openers started to play more freely with Watson launching Aravind for a huge six.

 

The openers were targetting Aravind a lot and in the process both of them fell in the left-arm paceman’s third over, 10th of the innings.

 

First to go was Watson, whose powerful hit landed straight in the hands of AB de Villers at long-off and two balls later, Dravid hit one back to the bowler.

 

Two new batsmen -- Botha and Rahane -- were at the crease and it affected the run-rate. Kohli himself bowled three overs and was pretty successful, conceding just 17 runs.

 

As if dipping run-rate was not enough Rahane was run out just after hitting Abrar Kazi for a six because of a terrible mix-up with Botha.

 

Botha reverse-swept Kazi and set out for a single which was not there and Rahane sacrificed his wicket.

 

Taylor took some time to settle and meanwhile Botha too perished before doing anything significant as Aravind returned to claim his third victim, this time caught behind.

 

Taylor and Ashok Menaria (8) departed while attempting big shots and eventually, the hosts failed to put up a challenging target.