Delhi Daredevils showed a lot of purpose in scoring a fine win over Cape Cobras, but the impressive performance came too late in the Champions League. Already out of reckoning for a place in the semifinals, they worked hard for a 30-run win at the Feroze shah Kotla ground.
Seam bowler Dirk Nannes ensured a victory with a three-wicket haul after spinners Amit Mishra and Tillakaratne Dilshan did the early damage on a pitch that continued to haunt batsmen. Cobras, already assured of a last-four berth, now move to Hyderabad to take on Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.
Victoria Bushrangers and New South Wales will play in the other semifinal here on Wednesday. The Cobras were stung early in their chase of a moderate 115-run target by a resurgent Daredevils who reduced the South African outfit to 57-5 in the 11th over. More important than any other dismissal was that of Jean Paul Duminy, one of the most impressive batsmen in the tournament so far.
Mishra bowled him in the same over that he got rid of the big-hitting Rory Kleinveldt, caught in the cover region, and that really put the match in the balance. Left-handed Duminy struck 14 off 20 balls after surviving a stiff chance when on just one. Nannes failed to latch on to one hit on the full and the ball went for a four. Another boundary down the leg side saw Duminy get some quick early runs, but with wickets falling at the other end, he could not dominate the attack like he would have liked to.
Daredevils had nothing to play for in their last league match but put up a reasonably good show with the bat earlier in the day. Virender Sehwag and Ashish Nehra sat out the match knowing that Delhi did not have a chance to qualify for the semifinals. The team scored 114-6 after being put in to bat, only Owais Shah putting up a mentionable effort. His 39 off 38 balls ensuring they did not struggle to reach three figures like once before in the tournament and was also named ‘man of the match’.
Once seamer Kleinveldt removed openers Dilshan and Gautam Gambhir, it was always an uphill task for the local team. Dilshan was bowled with a lovely delivery that cut in sharply, while Gambhir inside-edged one as Delhi fell to four for two.
Later in the innings, it was Justin Ontong’s double-strike that ensured Delhi could not repair the damage. Yogesh Nagar tried to go after the bowlers only to sky one to short fine leg, while Rajat Bhatia fell with a fine delivery that turned in to castle the batsman from between bat and pad.
Scorecard
Delhi Daredevils: T Dilshan b Kleinveldt 1, G Gambhir b Kleinveldt 0, M Tiwary b Henderson 19, D Karthik run out (Puttick/Canning) 23, O Shah not out 39, Y Nagar c Henderson b Ontong 10, R Bhatia b Ontong 0, A Mishranot out 8; Extras: (B1 LB3 W10) 14
Total: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 114 (5.70 runs per over); Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-4, 3-44, 4-46, 5-80, 6-87; Bowling: M Zondeki4-0-13- 0, R Kleinveldt 4-0-31-2, F Plaatjies 4-0-13-0, C Henderson 4-0-19-1, JP Duminy 1-0- 9-0, J Ontong 1-0-8-2, V Philander 2-0-17-0
Cape Cobras: A Puttick b Nannes 6, H Gibbs lbw b Dilshan 0, H Davids run out (Sangwan) 22, JP Duminy b Mishra 14, R Kleinveldt c Shah b Mishra 8, J Ontong b Dilshan 9,V Philander not out 12, R Canning b Nannes 3, C Henderson b Nannes 0, M Zondeki c Dilshan b Nagar 0, F Plaatjies not out 1; Extras: (LB5 W4) 9; Total: (9 wickets; 18.2 overs) 84; Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-17, 3-44, 4-57, 5-57, 6-72, 7-78, 8-78, 9-79; Bowling: T Dilshan 4-0-16-2, D Nannes 4-0-19-3, R Bhatia 2-0-11-0, A Mishra 4-0-19-2, P Sangwan 2-0-4-0, Y Nagar 2.2-0-10-1.
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