So, in the end, Rajasthan just had too much and knew too much for Delhi, whose fielding cost them a chaseable target. The Royals return to the top of the table, and look a lock for the play-offs with just three games remaining.
Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by 14 runs
And so say all of us.
20th over: Delhi 175-7 (Tiwary 28, Mishra 1)
19.6 Yorker, two to Tiwary.
19.5 Tiway tries a ramp, misses, they run anyway, the shy takes the bails off but they’re home, so turn for another.
Updated
19.4 Tiwary smelts a flat six over long-on.
19.4 Wide ball, miles outside off.
19.3 Single to fine-leg.
19.2 Huge swing from Mishra, but the ball’s already passed. Sounded like there was a nick to me, but only Southee appeals, and the umpire says no.
19.1 Southee in, and Tiwary flays a single to cover - except a misfield allows them to run three.
19th over: Delhi 160-7 (Tiwary 17, Mishra 0) Delhi need 30 runs from 6 balls.
18.6 Swing and a miss - dot.
18.5 Yorker length, just outside off, much better, and they run two to long-off.
18.4 Tiwary swings and squirts a four through cover.
Updated
WICKET! Coulter-Nile c Smith b Kulkarni 6 (Delhi 155-7)
18.3 Another rank delivery, a full-toss, and Coulter-Nile goes hard - but picks out Smith at square-leg, who, stuck on the fence, makes a tester look easy - obviously.
Updated
18.2 That’s why he’s been bowling the wides! One that gives Coulter-Nile a shot, and he slog-sweeps over square-leg for six!
Updated
18.2 Wide again, outside off!
Updated
18.2 Short, and flies over Coulter-Nile’s right shoulder. Wide.
Updated
18.1 Better line, fifth stump or so, bumped into the off-side for a single by Tiwary.
Updated
18.1 Full, but way wide from Kulkarni.
Updated
WICKET! Duminy c Kulkarni b Faulkner 56 (Delhi 145-6)
And that’ll be that. Desperate for a boundary, Duminy ramps the final delivery of the over, but straight to short fine-leg. Very good from Faulkner.
Updated
18th over: Delhi 145-5 (Duminy 56, Tiwary 11) Faulkner returns, and Delhi can’t get him away - wide yorkers make for an excellent over, with just three from it, five from the first five balls.
17th over: Delhi 138-5 (Duminy 51, Tiwary 9) Southee back, and Duminy forces away into the on-side; they run three, while Bhatia makes two dives to prevent a boundary. Looks like Delhi plan to stay in the game until the final over and need, say, 25 - and they need six fewer now, Tiwary clattering six into the upper tier at midwicket! Delhi need 52 runs from 18 balls.
16th over: Delhi 126-5 (Duminy 46, Tiwary 1) Lose wickets, lose momentum; Delhi add just one from the over’s three remaining balls. Delhi need 64 runs from 24 balls.
WICKET! Jadhav c Watson b Kulkarni 11 (Delhi 123-5)
The pressure of chasing. Jadhav tries to hoik around to leg from outside off, top edges, and Watson takes a simple catch, running backwards from cover.
Updated
16th over: Delhi 123-4 (Duminy 45, Jadhav 11) Watson takes a while potting his assault on victory, eventually deciding to bowl Kulkarni before meticulously arranging his field. This is a dangerous partnership, now; one more wicket, and it’d be even harder to see Delhi threatening their target.
15th over: Delhi 119-4 (Duminy 42, Jadhav 11) Bhatia continues, and after a single to Duminy, Jadhav seizes onto a slower one to punish six over midwicket with extreme prejudice. But the remainder of the over is quiet; Delhi need 70 runs from 30 balls.
14th over: Delhi 111-4 (Duminy 40, Jadhav 4) Jadhav miscues a pull, but Dhawal misjudges his catch at fine-leg - the ball’s in the air for a while, and he gets into position well, before underestimating the ground he needs to cover, diving once it’s too late. Delhi need 79 runs from 36 balls.
CRUCIAL WICKET! Mathews c Samson b Binny 16 (Dlehi 106-4)
Another key contribution from Binny, dropping short to induce an edge from Mathews as he moves down the track - but there’s plenty to do subsequently, Samson diving forwards to slide hands underneath ball.
Updated
14th over: Delhi 106-3 (Duminy 40, Mathews 16) Binny is into the attack, and starts with a wide that Samson does well to save, diving way to his left. Then, Mathews reclines onto one knee in front of off and flips a one bounce four over his shoulder - superb shot.
13th over: Delhi 101-3 (Duminy 40, Mathews 11) Bhatia replaces Faulkner, slowing things right down. But, after a quiet start to the over, Duminy has the measure of him, flowing six over long-on and then flicking four to midwicket, perfectly placed between two converging fieldsmen.
12th over: Delhi 87-3 (Duminy 27, Mathews 11) What, Son?! in again, and Duminy cracks his second delivery over long-on - it’s beautifully timed, but he needs to find a way of taking boundaries when the ball’s not right in the slot. But there’re four more, a bouncer hooked to the square-leg fence by Mathews - the over yields 15 in total. Few more of those, and we can start envisaging a contest.
11th over: Delhi 72-3 (Duminy 18, Mathews 5) Faulkner grimaces after being called for a wide, while Mathews continues scratching, playing two dots before finding two to midwicket via edge. Then, two more through point before one crashes into the pad - Faulkner stuartbroads in follow-through, assuming it’s gone, but the umpire is unmoved. Still, another solid over.
10th over: Delhi 67-3 (Duminy 18, Mathews 1) Watson now has a slip to try and exploit his away-swing, and he bounces Mathews, who pulls tentatively, missing - there’s an appeal for a caught behind, but the umpire isn’t interested. Nor is he when a fuller delivery raps Duminy on the kneeroll, but still, excellent over; Delhi need to rouse themselves.
9th over: Delhi 66-3 (Duminy 18, Mathews 1) So, these two will need to get most of the runs, you’d think - not much time for Mathews to ensconce himself prior to wading in.
WICKET! Yuvraj c Binny b Faulkner 22 (Delhi 65-3)
Crucial development. Faulkner exerts himself, but Yuvraj goes anyway, getting plenty of a pull - it looks like it’s six all the way, but Binny, on the square-leg fence, throws himself backwards to hold a jazzer of a snaffle, doing brilliantly not to spill it on landing.
Updated
9th over: Delhi 65-2 (Duminy 18, Yuvraj 22) A few quiet overs mean that Delhi need to get things moving, so Duminy dabs Faulkner’s second ball down into the off-side for four; beautiful timing.
8th over: Delhi 59-2 (Duminy 13, Yuvraj 21) Watson continues - if he can master his swing on this track, he’ll be very dangerous indeed. He doesn’t especially, though Yuvraj plays and misses at the final ball, but one run from it makes it a very good one anyway, and the required rate is now 10.91.
7th over: Delhi 58-2 (Duminy 13, Yuvraj 20) Faulkner into the attack, and after two singles and two dots, an effort-ball bounces a little more and cuts Yuvraj off at the waist when it seams in. Very handy over; now to enjoy a time-out of strategic nature.
Updated
6th over: Delhi 55-2 (Duminy 12, Yuvraj 18) The scoring rate is still manageable, 9.93 at the start of the over, but there’s no time to mess around, a reality not lost on Yuvraj. He pull-glances Kulkarni’s second ball for four, then waits for the next, acquainting foot with pitch to send a perfectly timed cover-drive to the fence, before turning one on the pads to finest-leg. 14 from the over.
5th over: Delhi 41-2 (Duminy 11, Yuvraj 5) Oddly, wicket-to-wicket Watto can’t quite control his swing, leaking consecutive wides. Yuvraj then gets off the mark turning one to fine-leg, and after Duminy responds, a check-drive into the turf arranges Yuvi his first boundary. Watson retorts with a wide.
WICKET! Iyer b Watson 9 (Delhi 32-2)
Iyer decides not to assess Watson prior to swiping at him, and is bowled first ball off his inside-edge, bat miles from body, feet stationary; here’s Yuvraj!
Updated
4th over: Delhi 32-1 (Iyer 9, Duminy 10) Southee’s back, and he starts tidily, with three dots, followed by a leg-bye, the only run from the over. I’d like to see Shane Watson in a chest fight with Mitchell McClenaghan.
3rd over: Delhi 31-1 (Iyer 9, Duminy 10) Duminy gets off the mark with a check-drive, foot to the pitch and the push so well-timed as to be an obvious four from the point of contact, rattling straight back past the bowler. Then, after a wide, Duminy picks up a shorter one, timing six over deep-backward square-leg - that’s ten off his first three balls.
WICKET! Agarwal b Binny 11 (Delhi 20-1)
And there’s the problem with Agarwal - the ball after a majestic shot, he tries to dab away towards third man, bottom-edging onto leg-stump instead.
Updated
3rd over: Delhi 20-0 (Agarwal 11, Iyer 9) Binny into the attack, and his second ball is picked up brilliantly by Agwarwal - he stands up,and paggas through the line, getting six over long-off.
2nd over: Delhi 14-0 (Agarwal 5, Iyer 9) Kulkarni opens from the other end, and Iyer adroitly tickles his first delivery for four past point. But the bowler responds with four dots, before one outside off-stump demands a swing; Iyer obliges and sends an edge shooting away to the fence.
1st over: Delhi 6-0 (Agarwal 5, Iyer 1) Single to each batsman, and then Rahane, orange-capped to tha max at point, dives left to stop a ball rushing to the fence. Then Agarwal turns one off his hip without keeping it down, and Hooda, at short midwicket, can’t quite his hands underneath it - he’s probably on his heels when the ball comes - and is punished not only by missing the chance to take a catch, but the first boundary of the innings.
Here comes Timothy Southee, Rajasthan’s Varun Aaaron...
Ajinkya Rahane has overtaken David Warner as the competition’s leading scorer - in the end, class will out whatever the format.
Superb effort from a supremely confident team - Rajasthan were able to raise such an intimidating total, not by going mad, but thanks to consistency of technique and composure. admittedly helped by some miserable fielding, they kept the scoring rate up more or less all the way through the innings, and it’s going to be exceptionally difficult for Delhi to beat them.
Updated
Rajasthan Royals set Delhi Daredevils 190 to win.
Good luck with that, chaps.
20th over: Rajasthan 189-2 (Rahane 91, Faulkner 8) It’s Sandhu with the responsibility, and after Rahane bumps two to long-on, Coulter-Nile misfields one lifted to long-off; it gets four. Then, after a dingle, Sandhu tries a yorker at Faulkner - he digs it out and they take two down the ground - following up with a a one-bounce four taken to deep midwicket, then two more, and that’s 15 from the final over.
19th over: Rajasthan 174-2 (Rahane 84, Faulkner 0) After a bye, Rahane picks up the yorker length to guide six over square-leg - brilliantly done. Delhi badly need to limit the runs from this final over.
Updated
WICKET! Karun c Mishra b Coulter-Nile 61 (Rajasthan 165-2)
Looking to heave into the on-side, Nair’s slice sends the ball whooshing into the off, and Misrah ambles in to hold as his team-mates ought to have been doing all afternoon.
Updated
19th over: Rajasthan 165-1 (Rahane 76, Karun 61) Coulter-Nile returns to finish his allocation, and Nair goes at him first ball, swinging over towards square-leg and beating Agarwal on the fence, who collapses into the hoardings and is led away for treatment.
18th over: Rajasthan 159-1 (Rahane 76, Karun 54) Back comes the venerable Zaheer, almost contacting Rahane’s outside edge first up. So, he tries the yorker next, but can’t find the length - a low full-toss is dispatched over his head for four, as is the slower ball that arrives next. He comes back well though, only two singles coming from the over’s final three deliveries.
Updated
17th over: Rajasthan 149-1 (Rahane 67, Karun 54) Oh my days! The very state of this fielding! Sandhu returns, Rahane throws hands at the first ball and spoons a catch to mid-off. But with no one there, Mishra and Zaheer have to run in, both of them missing it - Mishra was closer - diving onto one another for good measure. They laugh and the sheer hilarity. Then, Karun lunges onto one knee and slams six over square-leg, then muscles a low full-toss over cover for four. And oh! What batting this is! Granted, it’s not great bowling - a long-hop - but the timing is perfection, flicking to deep-backward-square-leg for another boundary and another half-century for Karun. 19 from the over.
16th over: Rajasthan 130-1 (Rahane 64, Karun 38) The Brabourne might well have the IPL’s nailsest soundsystem, and it’s cranked up like nobody’s business when Rahane dances down the track to lift six to long-on - Coulter-Nile leaps, but can’t get there. Then, Rahane takes the aerial route around cover, and it’s another catching chance, but the ball must be getting lost against the sky - Iyer arrives too late, compounding the fury by misfielding to let through a boundary. And, oh dear - the over’s final delivery allows Nair to nurdle one, the returning throw adding one more when no one backs up.
15th over: Rajasthan 114-1 (Rahane 51, Karun 36) Coulter-Nile, who looks a Test player in the making, returns. His first ball cedes two, and then Nair waves the bat, sending a chance to third man - it’s not pips, but it’s not that hard either, only Tiwary’s slow to get after it. It drops short, and a glare is administered, the bowler’s ire compounded when Rahane pulls six, raising his fifty at the same time.
Updated
14th over: Rajasthan 104-1 (Rahane 44, Karun 33) Mishra continues - he’s got so much confidence in his ability, flighting his deliveries and inviting the batters to have a shy. The over starts single, dot, single, but then Nair goes - there’s not much spin, so he’s confident to plant feet and slap over the bowler’s heid.
Updated
13th over: Rajasthan 97-1 (Rahane 43, Karun 27) Single for each batsman begins Mathews’ last over, and then Nair presents the full face to the ball hurtling past cover - what a shot that is, so leisurely and commanding. Nine from the over, and Rajasthan might want to stop setting it up now - they’ve so much firepower in the hutch, so it’s probably time to get things going. Tactics!
Updated
12th over: Rajasthan 88-1 (Rahane 42, Karun 19) Sandhu returns, and spirits one past Karun’s outside-edge. Nice delivery that, back of a length, hint of away-swing, but Karun maintains focus to carve two away to cover, before a single gives Rahane the strike. He ends the over with an expert’s pull for four.
11th over: Rajasthan 80-1 (Rahane 37, Karun 16) Perhaps expecting his length to be hittable deeper in the innings, Mathews continues. And his third ball is lifted over the top by Rahane, but off the toe so without requisite power, and Sandhu runs in from the deep cover boundary. Looks a simple enough catch, though not a dolly, but he grasses it falling forwards.
Updated
10th over: Rajasthan 74-1 (Rahane 32, Karun 15) The brakes are on, or they were. Rahane takes a single to cover, then Karun manages two to the same area. Next comes a dot, and after that, a big stride allows a thudding slog-sweep to midwicket for four. Ten from the over, and it’s probably time for Rajasthan to increase the p e ace.
9th over: Rajasthan 64-1 (Rahane 29, Karun 8) Mathews continues, this time with a slip in for Rahane - he’s looking at a fourth-stump line with some away movement, but deceives his man with an in-ducker; superbly done! But Rahane, caught in front, is good enough to get an inside-edge that saves him from an lb. Very good over, just three from it.
8th over: Rajasthan 61-1 (Rahane 27, Karun 8) So, what purchase will there be for Amit Mishra? He gives his first ball plenty of air and pace, and Karun goes after it, planting a foot, stretching and waving arms - an edge sends four speeding away to the third man fence. Next, similar, though more of a face than an edge, which has a detrimental effect on the pace of the shot - this time, they have to run two, and add two more singles from what remains of the over.
7th over: Rajasthan 53-1 (Rahane 21, Karun 1) Karun, promoted up the order, gets off the mark with an edge.
WICKET! Watson c Jadhav b Mathews 21 (Rajasthan 52-1)
Elation and relief - elief - for Delhi. Mathews extracts some bounce and away-swing, which Watson follows, guiding a catch behind.
Updated
7th over: Rajasthan 52-0 (Rahane 21, Watson 17) By jove, I think I’ve cracked it! All this time, it’s been mithering me what Delhi look like, and now the answer is clear: it’s Creme Eggs! Anyway, Mathews into the attack - “Delicate, and nice!” says the commentator as Rahane feathers a delicious back-cut down to the third man fence. Then, a single, and What-Ho What, son smash-pulls four. Delhi need something quicksmart.
Updated
Afternoon all - Daniel Harris back, details as above...
6th over: Rajasthan 43-0 (Rahane 21, Watson 17) Rahane’s eye is in today and he flicks the first ball of Coulter-Nile’s second over off his pads for four, then takes a single. Watson thumps an off drive but can’t find the gap, settling for a single, before Rahane does likewise.
5th over: Rajasthan 36-0 (Rahane 15, Watson 16) Zaheer continues and Rahane punches a lovely four through the covers before another single down to third man. Watson thumps the next one behind square for another four, Zaheer offering too much width but, coming around the wicket, he responds with a dot. Watson doesn’t catch all of it but there’s enough pace on the ball for another boundary through mid-wicket before a dot – 13 from the over.
4th over: Rajasthan 23-0 (Rahane 10, Watson 8) Nathan Coulter-Nile into the attack and Rahane and Watson milk three singles before the bowler responds with a bouncer and an excellent delivery that beats Watson off the seam. Watson hits back at his compatriot with a four, flicked off his pads.
3rd over: Rajasthan 16-0 (Rahane 8, Watson 3) Zaheer sends down two wides, either side of the stumps, before beating Watson’s outside edge. A big appeal comes on the fourth ball of the over for an edge from Watson through to the keeper – and it certainly sounded out – but nothing doing from the umpire. Watson picks up two through the off side to finish a good over from Zaheer.
2nd over: Rajasthan 12-0 (Rahane 8, Watson 1) Sandhu finds good line and length with his first delivery but Watson pinches a single before a wild swing from Rahane misses everything. He runs the next one, a little wide, down to third man for two before an uppercut flies to the boundary behind square on the off side. Sandhu responds with some extra bounce through to the wicketkeeper.
Updated
1st over: Rajasthan 5-0 (Rahane 2, Watson 0) Zaheer’s first ball leaks down the leg side for a wide and Jadhav’s fumble sees the openers scamper through for a single. The next four are better – Watson gets bat to each of them but can’t pierce the in-field before a leg-bye from the penultimate ball of the over is followed by a couple for Rahane down to third man.
Zaheer Khan opens the bowling.
Two changes for Rajasthan Royals – Rajat Bhatia gets the nod over Ankit Sharma and James Faulkner comes in for Rusty Theron. For Delhi, Gurinder Sandhu comes in for Imran Tahir – presumably due to said greenness of pitch.
Toss! Delhi win the toss and elect to field
Rajasthan will bat first with Ajinkya Rahane and captain Shane Watson opening the batting. JP Duminy cites greenness of pitch for opting to bowl.
Anyway, Gerard Meagher will escort you through the start of things here - here he is!
Updated
Earlier in the competition, these teams shared a thriller, won by Rajasthan at the death. Since then, Delhi got worse and then improved, while Rajasthan improved further and then slipped, losing their place at the top of the table. They’ll expect to collect the points from this one, but Delhi will fancy themselves to manufacture a late run to the eliminators.
Daniel will be here for the second part of his double header shortly.
