IPL: Bangalore Down Delhi To Keep Hopes Alive

IPL: Bangalore Down Delhi To Keep Hopes Alive

Bangalore celebrate a wicket on their way to victory over Delhi.

©REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko (SOUTH AFRICA SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Royal Challengers Bangalore 135-3 (Kallis 57no) beat
Delhi Daredevils 134-7 (Karthik 31, Kumar 3-30) by seven wickets
Indian Premier League, Johannesburg

The Royal Challengers Bangalore kept their Indian Premier League semi-final hopes alive with a fine seven-wicket win over the Delhi Daredevils in Johannesburg.

Praveen Kumar struck twice in the opening over of the match on his way to figures of three for 30 as the Daredevils were restricted to 134 for seven before the Challengers reached 135 for three with an over to spare.

After Kumar had Virender Sehwag caught by Ross Taylor and Mithun Manhas caught by Jacques Kallis for ducks, the Daredevils never really recovered, reliant on innings of 31 from Dinesh Karthik, 28 from AB de Villiers and 27 from Gautam Gambhir to get them up to a modest total.

Anil Kumble picked up two for 24 with Kallis and Roelof van der Merwe picking up a wicket apiece.

Kalis's all-round game was to the fore as he anchored the run chase with an unbeaten 57 in 55 balls that included two fours and two sixes.

Batting alongside him, Rahul Dravid made 38 in 34 balls, Taylor 25 in 12, and Mark Boucher was unbeaten on ten after they had lost opener Robin Uthappa or one in the first over of their reply.

The result now sets up their final match against the Deccan Chargers as a virtual semi-final. The Daredevils were already guaranteed qualification for the semi-final stage.

© Cricket World 2009

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