BANGALORE – West Indies’ limited overs batsman Lendl Simmons struck a half-century in only his second innings of the new Indian Premier League season to help Mumbai Indians beat Chris Gayle’s Royal Challengers Bangalore by 18 runs, and end their losing streak here yesterday.
Without a win in five outings this season, Mumbai piled up 209 for seven from their 20 overs and then restricted RCB to 191 for seven at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Simmons stroked nine fours and two sixes in making 59 off 44 deliveries while Unmukt Chand smashed 58 off 37 balls with eight fours and two sixes.
Chand and Rohit Sharma, who made 43, added 42 for the third wicket but West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago big hitter Kieron Pollard failed, lasting only three balls for his five.
In reply, RCB were off to a troubled start, losing Gayle for ten off 24 balls and even though AB de Villiers hammered a shot-filled 42 from just 11 deliveries with five fours and three sixes, they fell short.
In another match yesterday, Dwayne Bravo smashed an exhilarating unbeaten half-century but then leaked runs with his medium pace as the previously unbeaten Chennai Super Kings crashed to an eight-wicket defeat to high-flying Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad.
Opting to bat first Chennai reach 156 for four in their 20 overs with Bravo striking 62 off 36 deliveries with eight fours and a six.
Bravo’s West Indies teammate Dwayne Smith hammered 40 from 29 balls with three fours and two sixes at the top of the order.
In reply, Royals were propelled by a 144-run opening stand between Ajinkya Rahane, who hammered 76 not out and Australian Shane Watson who finished 73 not out.
Rahane struck six fours and two sixes off 55 balls while Watson clobbered six fours and four sixes in a 47-ball knock. (EZS/CMC)
