Royal Challengers ensure a last finish for Chargers by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

---

Scorecard:	Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers Bangalore
Player:	R Vinay Kumar, AC Gilchrist, HH Gibbs, RG Sharma, JH Kallis, Misbah-ul-Haq, DW Steyn
Event:	Indian Premier League 2007/08

---

DateLine: 26th May 2008

 

In the first match of the day, and the 51st of the DLF IPL, the two bottom placed teams, the Deccan Chargers and the Bangalore Royal Challengers clashed against each other at Uppal in Hyderabad. Adam Gilchrist won the toss and decided to bat first.

 

Hershelle Gibbs, who has not been really firing in this series, opened the inning with Adam Gilchrist, and the two were off to flier. They added 101 in around eleven overs, before Gibbs departed, and a total of 200 looked a distinct possibility. Gilchrist fell soon after, but there was nothing in the pitch or the bowling to suggest what happened next. From a healthy position of 109/1 in the 13th, they first collapsed to 151/5 in 17.3, and then managed only 14 runs off the last 15 deliveries before losing all their wickets! Rohit Sharma was hit on his glove and looked very uncomfortable, and once he left, the rest of them capitulated due to some good bowling by Dale Steyn and Vinay Kumar. Incidentally, this was the first match of the tournament that saw a spinner bowl the first over of the match; Anil Kumble opening the bowling for Bangalore.

 

Jacques Kallis had injured his hamstring while bowling and he came out with a runner, but when Wasim Jaffer – the other opener – ran himself out, Gilchrist rightly pointed out to the umpires that it has to be a batsman who has got out who needs to run for Kallis. Unsurprisingly, Jaffer was involved in another run-out, falling short of the crease for the second time, and running Kallis out for 31! Some sort of a record that. The rest of the Bangalore reply was effective but not really spectacular. Dravid scored another valuable 31, and Misbah hit 34, but with 25 needed off 17, Virat Kohli played mindless shot and spooned a catch to cause some jitters in the Challengers’ dugout. B. Akhil dispelled all of them when he hit three sixes and a couple of fours to see his team through with an over to spare.

 

Vinay Kumar was named the Man-of-the-Match for his excellent spell of 3/27 in 4.