Dilshan ends Deccan run

down to the wire

It was more anger than elation that welcomed Delhis fourth win in five matches. Tillakaratne Dilshan had just been hit by Fidel Edwards on the head,and when he smashed the bowler for a six over square-leg soon after to seal the win,the celebrations were far from muted. Hyderabad,with that blow,were handed their first defeat in the tournament.

Dilshan finished with an unbeaten 46-ball 52,and was supported ably by Dinesh Karthik,who chipped in with a 30-ball 41,in a partnership worth 79 runs.

DUTCH DELIGHT

THE major topic of discussion during Delhis campaign in IPL2 so far has been their continued preference for Dirk Nannes over the Glenn McGrath. But it was the 32-year-old Australian fast bowler of Dutch origin who provided the early impetus by getting rid of Hyderabads biggest assets openers Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs.

Gilchrist had started off as usual,smashing Nanness third and fourth deliveries to long-off and cover for boundaries,but Nannes got him with the fifth ball as an attempted pull went only as far as wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik. Gibbs then fell in Nanness next over for a duck,caught at mid-off by AB de Villiers,leaving Hyderabad struggling at 19-2. The left-arm paceman returned to bowl a tight second spell towards the end and finished with figures of 2-16 in his four overs.

DECCAN CRAWL

In the eighth over of Hyderabads innings,Rohit Sharma lay sprawled at the non-strikers while turning for an ill-advised second run. While he managed to survive,not too elegantly,a major part of the Deccan Chargers innings resembled Sharmas desperation as the Delhi bowlers kept it tight right through.

DWAYNES WORLD

FOR anyone who watched Dwayne Smith clobber the South African attack for an unbeaten 105 on Test debut at Cape Town five years ago,the young Barbadians talent was brazenly obvious. It was in full view at Centurion as the right-hander proved to be the only talking point in an otherwise disappointing Hyderabad batting performance. Smith smashed two huge sixes and five fours in his 28-ball 48 and was chiefly responsible for Hyderabad scoring 93 runs in their last 10 overs. That,as it turned out,was never going to be enough.