Match 55 IPL: DC Vs DD – Deccan charge into semis, Delhi crash out
DC 145/7(20) | DD 134/7(20)
DC won by 11 runs. Man of the Match: Andrew Symonds
The Delhi Daredevils choked again under pressure as defending champions Deccan Chargers cemented their place in the IPL semis at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Sunday. The Chargers beat the home side by 11 runs to throw them out of the tournament.
So after 53 games over a gruelling month and five days, we have finally have the list of last four. In the first semi-final, the Mumbai Indians will take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday and the second semi-final will be played between Deccan Chargers and the Chennai Super Kings on Thursday at the same venue.
After winning the crucial toss, Deccan floundered advantage but the innings was givan an impetus by Andrew Symonds against a sharp Delhi bowling. It was a one-man show as he slammed 54 off 30 balls with three fours and five towering sixes.
Chasing 146 for a place in the semis, Delhi lost wickets early. David Warner (five) and Virender Sehwag (eight) fell early. Tillakaratne Dilshan (11) and Gautam Gambhir (four) too could not do much. Mithun Manhas (23) and Paul Collingwood (51 not out) put together a brief resistance.
Collingwood kept Delhi in the hunt even as wickets kept falling at the other end. Delhi needed 37 runs from three overs with Collingwood and Ashish Nehra in the middle. But the English batsman could manage only one big hit off Harmeet Singh in the 18th over as Deccan did not allow the game to slip.
Chaminda Vaas, back in the team for the crucial game in place of Ryan Harris, bowled a brilliant last over to end Delhi's hopes.
Earlier, Symonds launched into a blitzkrieg counterattack as the Delhi spinners were taken to the cleaners by the burly Aussie. Deccan suddenly looked on track as Symonds bludgeoned five sixes and three boundaries in his brutal of half-century. But just as the Chargers were looking at a massive score, Symonds hit one straight to Mithun Manhas and the momentum shifted back to Delhi's favour.
Mitchell Marsh (13 off 19), who gave Symonds solid company in a 50-run stand in just over five overs, could not up the ante as the Deccan lower order picked up as many as they could against a sharp Delhi bowling.
Deccan were rocked early with regular wickets denting their innings. Adam Gilchrist (10) flopped once again as he miscued Ashish Nehra and soon the in-form T Suman (five) perished to pacer Umesh Yadav. Rohit Sharma (11) was Yadav's second wicket as Deccan looked in trouble.
However, Monish Mishra (25 off 19) stuck to the task and added some stability before being run out.
But it was the the stand between Symonds and young Marsh that allowed Deccan to set Delhi a competitive score that proved enough to take them to the semis.
via Deccan charge into semis, Delhi crash out: Cricket Next.
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