Daredevils hit back in style

Sehwag, Kaarthick star in massive win over Lankan side Wayamba

Set 171 for victory, made doubly challenging by the conditions, Wayamba Elevens could manage only 120 for seven to crash to a 50-run defeat at the Feroze Shah Kotla on Sunday. They now need to win against Victoria Bushrangers on Tuesday to harbour hopes of making it to the League Phase.

Wayamba needed a strong beginning to make a fist of Daredevils’ total, but Dirk Nannes (4/24) delivered two telling blows in his first two overs, dismissing Mahela Udawatte and Michael Vandort, both bowled. It was, however, Glenn McGrath who stole the show with the kind of bowling that has made him the legend he is. The 40-year-old, looking none the worse for time spent away from cricket, cleaned up Wayamba skipper Jehan Mubarak with a beauty that shaped into the batsman.

Kaushal Lokurachichi was done in by a ball that stayed low in the same over as Wayanba were reduced to a pitiable 36 for five. The game was over then and there, Mahela Jayawardene’s 53 (40b, 5x4, 2x6) providing only a semblance of respectability as the Daredevils became the first Indian team to win a match in this event.

Electing to bat, Daredevils’ start was hardly a portent of things to come. Opening the innings with Sehwag, Tillakeratne Dilshan struggled to put the ball away as left-armer Chanaka Welegedera sent down a rare maiden. Sehwag got off to a cracking start, slamming Isuru Udana straight down the ground. Dilshan seemed to have got into the groove with a cut off Udana and a cover-driven four off Welegedera in the next over. Trying to repeat the act, he found the safe hands of Mubarak, who had positioned himself for the shot. Gautam Gambhir received another low ball, trapped in front by Ajantha Mendis.   

Man of the match Sehwag, however, appeared as if he was batting on a different pitch, unmindful of the low bounce or the carry. If he wasn’t using the extravagant cross-batted shots, he made room and drove through extra cover or moved inside the line and flicked it towards mid-wicket or backward square-leg. Sehwag was in the zone, and there was no getting away for the Wayamba bowlers. It rained boundaries as the right-hander raised 67 for the third wicket with Kaarthick before running himself out looking for a non-existent single.        

The Delhiites may not have had enough of Sehwag, but Kaarthick’s belligerence more than made up for the disappointment. His handling of Mendis, whom he slammed for three towering sixes, was top-draw stuff. The stumper also hit five fours and with Owais Shah doing his bit, Daredevils put up a total they might have defended even on a good wicket.

SCORE BOARD

DELHI DAREDEVILS: Tillakeratne Dilshan c Mubarak b Welegedera 10 (16b, 2x4), Virender Sehwag (run out) 66 (41b, 10x4, 1x6), Gautam Gambhir lbw Mendis 3 (6b), Dinesh Kaarthick st de Zoysa b Mendis 61 (41b, 5x4, 3x6), Owais Shah b Welegedera 18 (10b, 1x4, 1x6), Manoj Tiwary (not out) 3 (3b), Rajat Bhatia (not out) 5 (3b).

Extras (LB-1, W-2, NB-1) 4. Total (for 5 wkts, 20 overs) 170.

Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Dilshan), 2-45 (Gambhir), 3-112 (Sehwag), 4-156 (Kaarthick), 5-164 (Shah).
 
Bowling: Chanaka Welegedara 4-1-24-2, Isuru Udana 4-0-38-0 (w-1, nb-1), Farveez Maharoof 4-0-34-0, Ajantha Mendis 4-0-35-2 (w-1), Kaushal Lokuarachchi 3-0-31-0, Mubarak 1-0-7-0. 

Runs during: Power Play: 1-6 overs: 43/1.

WAYAMBA ELEVENS: Jeevantha Kulatunga c Shah b Mishra 10 (13b, 1x4), Mahela Udawatte b Nannes 2 (4b), Michael Vandort b Nannes 9 (12b, 2x4), Mahela Jayawardene c Dilshan b Nannes 53 (40b, 5x4, 2x6), Jehan Mubarak b McGrath 0 (1b), Kaushal Lokuarachchi b McGrath 4 (5b, 1x4), Farveez Maharoof c Dilshan b Nannes 3 (12b), Sameera de Zoysa (not out) 21 (23b, 2x4), Isuru Udana (not out) 11 (10b, 1x4). Extras (LB-3, W-4) 7. Total (for 7 wkts, 20 overs) 120.

Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Udawatte), 2-18 (Vendort), 3-31 (Kulatunga), 4-31 (Mubarak), 5-36 (Lokuarachchi), 6-52 (Maharoof), 7-105 (Jayawardene). 

Bowling: Ashish Nehra 4-0-23-0 (w-1), Dirk Nannes 4-0-24-4 (w-1), Glenn McGrath 4-0-20-2 (w-1), Amit Mishra 4-1-18-1, Tillakeratne Dilshan 2-0-19-0, Rajat Bhatia 2-0-13-0 (w-1).

Runs during: Power Play: 1-6 overs: 31/2.