DELHI – West Indies opener Dwayne Smith roared to a blistering half century and carried a dominant Chennai Super Kings to a crushing eight-wicket victory Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday.
Barbadian Smith targeted every Daredevil bowler and plundered eight sixes and four fours in a top score of 79 to lead an exciting run chase that overhauled a target of 179 at Feroz Shah Kotla.
Smith’s batting exploits, and with a contribution of 47 from Suresh Raina, helped Super Kings secure their sixth straight victory in the IPL with two balls to spare and strengthen their position at the top of the points table.
Smith departed in the 19th over when his side needed 11 runs off eight balls, caught at the edge of the straight boundary lofting a full toss down the ground. He has now amassed 335 runs at an average of 47.85 and a strike rate of 146.28 in seven innings in this year’s IPL.
Meanwhile, West Indies spin bowler Sunil Narine captured two wickets for 28 runs but his side Kolkata Knight Riders lost by ten runs against Rajasthan Royals in a cliffhanger yesterday.
Royals held their nerves under extreme pressure to edge Kolkata in a nail-biting Super Over finish in a fifth round encounter at Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Having set a target of 153 in 20 overs for KKR, the Royals’ bowlers kept their calm at the death as they restricted Gautam Gambhir’s men to 152 for eight in 20 overs, with West Indian Andre Russell scoring just one. (EZS/CMC)
