Dashing Dilshan does it for daredevils

Tillakaratne Dilshan smashed a quickfire half-century to power Delhi Daredevils to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday. The Sri Lankan cracked two sixes and five fours in his 47-ball 67 not out as Delhi achieved a 150-run target with four balls to spare for their third win in as many matches.

After the early burst, both Dilshan and last match centurion AB de Villiers (21 off 34) found the going tough against the spin duo of Anil Kumble and young KP Appanna.
While wickets falling at one end, Dilshan was in no mood to give up as he along with Mithun Manhas took close to the target.

The Royal Challengers lost the grip on the match in the last four overs. Needing 15 off the last two overs, Pietersen called back his best bowler Pankaj Singh but the move had hardly any affect on Dilshan as he hit the pacer for a boundary in the very first ball and then mixed it up with ones and twos to pick up 12 off the penultimate over. The Daredevils registered the victory with four balls to spare with Manhas hitting the winning runs.

Earlier, opting to bat first, the Royal Challengers got off to a disastrous start with in-form Kallis departing in the very first ball of the match and Robin Uthappa (3), the other opener, exiting in the second over.

Pietersen (37 off 25), in Ross Taylor’s (31 off 34) company, resurrected the Royal Challengers’ innings with a 62-run fourth wicket stand. And then Boucher (36 off 28) and Virat Kohli (22) added 61 runs down the order to take them near the 150-mark.