IPL-5: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to leads 157 by De Villiers

Royal Challengers Bangalore 157 for 8 (de Villiers 64*, Bracewell 3-32) vs Delhi Daredevils

  

                       de Villiers 64*

Royal Challengers Bangalore were without their talisman Chris Gayle, who was not fit, but AB de Villiers stepped in to try and fill that void, lifting his struggling team with a well-paced half-century that contained a mix of the orthodox and the unconventional. His innings was the difference between the hosts plummeting to a below-par score and reaching a total that Delhi Daredevils will have to chase with care on a true pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

De Villiers began his innings with Royal Challengers on 46 for 2 in six overs, and watched the advantage of a quick start erode because of regular wickets at the other end. He scored at a run a ball for his first 22 deliveries, losing three partners on the way, and then launched Doug Bracewell over extra cover to bring up the team's 100 in the 14th over.

And then de Villiers began to turn it on, mixing deft glances and sweeps to the fine-leg boundary with audacious reverse-hits to third man. He hit Irfan Pathan for two such boundaries, getting into position early and reverse-swatting full tosses, one over the boundary and the other short of it. He crashed another straight drive past the bowler, Bracewell, in the final over but could not get on strike for the final three deliveries, and so Royal Challengers could not get past 160. Bracewell finished the innings clinically for Daredevils, taking wickets with the final two balls to end on 3 for 32.

It was Bracewell, who replaced Roelof van der Merwe in the Daredevils line-up, who pulled back Royal Challengers' quick start. Andrew McDonald had taken Irfan Pathan for 19 runs in an over but his aggression was ended by athletic excellence. McDonald swatted Morkel and Bracewell ran from mid-on towards deep midwicket, covered a lot of ground, and dived full length to take the catch with one hand. He then had Virat Kohli caught at point cheaply, ran out Daniel Vettori, and mopped up in the final over to give Daredevils the edge.