Wayamba Cut Down By Inspired Daredevils

Wayamba Cut Down By Inspired Daredevils

Left to right: Amit Mishra, Dirk Nannes and Virender Sehwag all played their part in victory.

©REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (SOUTH AFRICA SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Delhi Daredevils 170-5 (Sehwag 66, Karthik 61) beat
Wayamba 120-7 (Jayawardene 53, Nannes 4-24) by 50 runs
Airtel Champions League Twenty20, Delhi

The Delhi Daredevils used all of their experience to beat Wayamba by 50 runs and keep themselves in the Champions League in front of their home crowd.

Batting first, opening batsman Virender Sehwag hit 66 in 42 balls with ten fours and a six and Dinesh Karthik chipped in with 61 in 41 balls, striking five fours and three sixes and despite two wickets apiece for Chanaka Welegedara and Ajantha Mendis, the Daredevils reached an imposing score of 170 for five before Wayamba closed on 120 for seven.

Predictably, Wayamba struggled in reply, the left-arm fast pairing of Dirk Nannes and Ashish Nehra giving the batsmen little to work with, Nannes returning four for 24 before making way for Glenn McGrath, making his first appearance since the inaugural Indian Premier League in 2008, to take two for 14 and leave the Wayamba innings in tatters at 52 for six.

Mahela Jayawardene showed his class with 53 in 40 balls but without support, his knock was too little, too late, leg-spinner Amit Mishra the other man to pick up a wicket.

Wayamba now play Victoria in the final group game; if Victoria win, then the Daredevils progress along with them, but if Wayamba can force a victory, then net run rate will come into play.

© Cricket World 2009