Dearie us, those were some phenomenal behaviours. Amazing from Punjab, really, losing wickets every time they looked in it and somehow remaining in it; it’s hard to point fingers at anyone from Rajasthan, because there was no significant onslaught, rather consistent hitting that kept them close enough to the required run rate to have a shy at the end. And the way they handled the super-over was spectacular, Marsh hitting brilliantly and Johnson responding superbly after an indifferent evening. Phew! Dearie us.
Updated
No way! Way! Punjab win! What a game! What a game! What a game!
20.3 Full from Johnson, Faulkner misses, Saha runs him out!
Updated
20.2 Better from Mitch, following Smith as he backs away and finding his laces - they run one to cover. 10 needed from 4.
Updated
20.2 A navel-high full-toss! No-ball! And smith doesn’t miss out, of course he doesn’t, slicing behind for four!
Out comes Smith...
20.1 Johnson has his dead serious face on, in he comes, and it’s a jaffa! What, Ho! is bowled on off-stump as he retreats to make room!
Updated
And here they come ... it’s Faulkner and Watson, against Johnson ... it seems.
Rahane reclines on the garden furniture too, and still we don’t know who’s going to bat. This is beginning to nauseate.
Mitch is racing into delivery strides, while Rajasthan still haven’t sent out their men.
Updated
Or will it be Mitch after all - he looks to be describing his field, and, in the meantime, neither Smith nor Hooda are padded up.
It’s looking like the spin of Axar Patel - and that’s incredible, really. Who’d have thought it possible when T20 was invented?
So, who bowls for Punjab; dare they risk Johnson?
Punjab score 15 from their super-over! Rajasthan need 16 to win!
Or 15 if they get two boundaries as the total total will separate in case of a tie.
Updated
In fact it was plumb.
20.6 Morris goes around the wicket, finds the yorker, Marsh contorts to find it, misses, it’s off the pad, and they run a bye, then Marsh is run out. My days, that looked exceptionally adjacent....
Updated
20.5 Morris goes wide, Marsh stretches, misses.
20.4 And there he is again when Morris overpitches, clubbing four down the ground!
20.3 Forget What-Ho, Marsh is seeing it like Lion-O, and he paggas to square-leg for four.
20.3 Another full toss, a no-ball! And Marsh doesn’t spare anything, chucking hands and forearms through it to base four at cover.
20.2 Maxwell goes after a slower yorker, it drops safe , short of deep cover, and they run one - that’s ok for Punjab, as Marsh is on strike.
20.1 Miller steps away to slam a weener-height full-toss over square-leg - it’s there for him! - he misses - and is given out lbw! What a game!
Updated
Morris is at the top of his run...
Interesting - Punjab, who will bat first, are backing the out-of-form Maxwell, but it’s Marsh and Miller first. The longer boundary is to leg-side, so perhaps a righty might’ve helped.
Updated
The state of this game!
Seems like Morris will bowl for Delhi...
And what a choice for the super-over! Miller and Marsh for Punjab, Faulkner, Hooda, Watson or Rahane for Rajasthan. Poor bowlers.
Updated
Punjab have done incredibly well to get to here - at no point was it quite on, until it was on.
19.6 Patel stretches like Inspector Gadget, it's four - and nearly six! - to point! Super over!
Amazing!
19.5 Johnson carves to point, they try two again, the throw is wild again, and four to tie, six to win!
19.4 Wide again, but Patel can’t find the middle. Smith picks up, his throw is wild, and allows them to run two - they were trying for it anyway, so that was a wicket otherwise. They’ve done so well to keep in this with twos, but so badly to miss out from hittable deliveries.
Updated
19.3 Again, Johnson could clout this, but he can only get one to cover.
19.2 Forced to Smith again, and this time he’s so quick to pick up and throw, finding the keeper as they arrive after the second - the bails are off, but Johnson’s just in.
19.1 Wide, low full toss, Johnson misses out, not getting all of it, they run two when Smith doesn’t pick up cleanly at long-on.
Updated
It’s going to be Faulkner...Ah, the beautiful rarity of the high-scoring thriller.
Updated
18.6 Patel makes room, drives down the ground to long-off, but picks out the man. They run one. Punjab need 14 runs from 6 balls.
Updated
18.5 Same again, and this time, Johnson judges it, turning behind for a crucial four to fine-leg.
Updated
18.5 Leg-side wide, Johnson missing with the reverse uppercut as it bounces high behind his head.
Updated
18.4 Morris forces to long-on, and they run one.
Updated
18.3 Yorker, single.
Updated
18.2 Johnson swipes, Rahane chases, dives, catches, but in the palms not the fingers, and spills it as he hits the ground. They run two.
Updated
18.1 It’s Morris, and Patel forces down the ground for one.
Updated
18th over: Punjab 166-5 (Patel 2, Johnson 0) Punjab need 25 runs from 12 balls.
Updated
WICKET! Miller c Binny b Hooda 54 (Punjab 166-6)
Just when you think they’re in, they pull themselves back out. Hooda forces Miller to hit over the off-side, he tries, and holes out to cover.
Updated
18th over: Punjab 166-5 (Miller 54, Patel 1) Tambe’s given the ball, theyn it’s taken away and given Hooda. And Miller’s eyes light up, six immediately and easily annihilated over midwicket; here comes the charge. But Miller can’t get under the next one, hitting to the same area but along the carpet to add only one; what does Patel have? Enough to give Miller the strike, and if he could manufacture at least one maximum from what’s left, well, and he does! He chips six over midwicket! That’s his fifty, off 29 balls, and still two left in this over!
WICKET! Saha b Miller 19 (Punjab 152-5)
Saha moves across his stumps to flick over his shoulder, doesn’t pick it up properly, and plays on.
Updated
17th over: Punjab 152-4 (Miller 41, Saha 19) Thank the deities for that momentum-interrupting break; Punjab were seriously glad of it, I’ll bet. Morris comes back, and Saha wallops four and four, first through midwicket, then square-leg - the adverts have done their job! Go adverts! Next, Saha takes a single, and Miller surveys the scene before hammering into the ground and running as Saha leaps to let the ball pass between his legs. Morris isn’t into this at all, a low full-toss is based over midwicket for a one-bounce four...
16th over: Punjab 138-4 (Miller 40, Saha 6) Faulkner back for yet another spell, and Saha spins to follow a leg-side one, helping it around the corner to fine-leg. On the boundary, Binny is haring after it, but can’t quite catch up, palming it down and into the rope. But after a single, Miller properly clobbers one, taking a slower ball from outside off and depositing it in the stands at midwicket. Oh, and there’s another, hit higher and at the top of the bounce for six more; time for a commercial strategy intervention. Punjab need 54 runs from 24 balls.
15th over: Punjab 114-4 (Miller 27, Saha 0) Six and a wicket from the over. Punjab need 72 runs from 30 balls.
WICKET! Marsh c Rahane b Tambe 65 (Punjab 117-4)
Uncuriouser and uncuriouser. Marsh tries to slog-sweep a googly, is defeated by the turn so top-edges, and there’s sod-all chance Rahane is dropping this one at long-on. Ah well, it was fun while it lasted, and that was an excellent innings.
Updated
14th over: Punjab 114-3 (Marsh 65, Miller 23) Hooda back on, and isn’t Marsh glad to see him, immediately down on one knee to propose zetz six over the covers. And then, after a single, a dot and a two, Miller smashes four back past the bowler, Marsh doing exceptionally well to duck out of its road; curiouser and curiouser. Punjab need 78 runs from 36 balls.
Updated
13th over: Punjab 100-3 (Marsh 58, Miller 16) What, Ho into the attack, the master of the dot - and Punjab desperately need to get after him. Oh. After three singles, Miller tries, humping over the infield towards midwicket, but it’s cut off on the fence and yields only two. So Miller goes again, slicing two more in front of square on the off-side, then slams six over long-on; we might yet have ourselves a ball-game. Punjab need 92 runs from 42 balls.
Updated
12th over: Punjab 87-3 (Marsh 56, Miller 5) Faulkner returns, charging in with intent and ceding just two off the bat; add just the one leg-bye, and that’s a bazzer of an over. Punjab need 105 runs from 48 balls.
Updated
11th over: Punjab 84-3 (Marsh 54, Miller 5) Marsh waits for Tewatia’s first ball and easily pastes it over wide long-on for six. Then, after two twos, another six is lashed straight, bringing up Marsh’s fifty. 17 from the over; Punjab need 108 from 54 balls.
10th over: Punjab 67-3 (Marsh 37, Miller 5) Hooda into the attack, and Punjab are in a bind - do they pay the rate some respect but risk being done and done in short order, or do they rebuild and hope for some vicious slogging later on? The problem, in particular, is that Marsh cannot get out.
9th over: Punjab 61-3 (Marsh 35, Miller 1) Miller off the mark right away, driving to cover, and then Marsh sweeps one more.
WICKET! Maxwell c Smith b Tewatia 1 (Punjab 59-3)
Right then, excitement over. Maxwell slog-sweeps, top edges, and starts walking when he sees Smith underneath it at midwicket - but this is a far better catch than that suggests, a sprint followed by an overhead take, falling backwards; exemplary stevensmithing. Definitely time to talk adverts.
Updated
9th over: Punjab 59-2 (Marsh 34, Maxwell 1) Tewatia continues, so it’s leg-spin from both ends, and Marsh burns the first ball of the over to midwicket, using all of his crease to wait for the spin.
8th over: Punjab 54-2 (Marsh 29, Maxwell 1) A single to each batter to start, Maxwell off the mark with a tap into the leg-side which allows Marsh to coat Tambe down the ground, earning four to long-off. But Tambe responds with a wrongun that Marsh doesn’t pick - there’s an lb appeal, they run, and the throw narrowly misses the stumps as Marsh dives; Tambe isn’t there backing up as he’s raced out of the road.
7th over: Punjab 47-2 (Marsh 24, Maxwell 0) This is the partnership, then - if this pair don’t come off, this is over. Marsh cuts a short, wide one for four, and Punjab are only scoring at 6.71; they now need 11.15.
WICKET! Vijay run out 21 (Punjab 42-2)
Rajasthan are startlingly competent; this is more magnificent fielding. Marsh drives down the pitch, Tewatia snatches, turns and spits the ball at the stumps before Vijay can get back.
Updated
7th over: Punjab 42-1 (Vijay 21, Marsh 19) Different leg-spin into the attack, that of Rahul Tewatia. Marsh takes his first ball for two down to cover.
6th over: Punjab 40-1 (Vijay 21, Marsh 17) Morris back, and Marsh properly knucks his second ball to cover-point, where an excellent stop saves four. And with one ball remaining, there’s only one from the over, but Vijay fetches that from outside off, carting over midwicket for a sponsored six and nodding at the bowler in appreciation of himself. I for one am changing banks.
Updated
5th over: Punjab 33-1 (Vijay 15, Marsh 16) Time for the leg-spin of Pravin Tambe, who, at 43, proves that you too can play elite sport; you’ve simply been foiled by lack of opportunity. With the run rate so high - 10.64 at the time of writing - Punjab can’t really wear any tight overs, and this is one. Vijay knows it too, so flips to midwicket, where Nair, coming in off the fence, drops to his knees to pouch what his judgment has made a dolly. He spills it.
4th over: Punjab 25-1 (Vijay 11, Marsh 12) Right, here we go; Vijay makes room and clouts Binny back over the sightscreen for six. Binny comes back well, though, two dots split by a leg-bye, but then a short, straight one is easily turned to the fence by Marsh, and this is another good over for Punjab.
3rd over: Punjab 12-1 (Vijay 5, Marsh 6) Punjab send in Marsh, and Rajasthan give Faulkner the ball. He cedes three to Vijay from his first three balls, before Marsh whips and deflects through midwicket, earning four and two respectively.
WICKET! Sehwag run out 1 (Punjab 3-1)
Steven Smith stevensmiths! Vijay drives to mid-off, they go to snaffle one, and Steven Smith brilliantly stevensmiths down the stumps and the striker’s end.
Updated
2nd over: Punjab 2-0 (Vijay 2, Sehwag 1) Binny hustling in from the other end, with an off-side field looking to cramp Sehwag. And it does!
Updated
1st over: Punjab 2-0 (Vijay 2, Sehwag 0) Morris is in, and starts well - three dots - but Vijay cracks his fourth past the dive of mid-off. They only run two, but, the only two that the over cedes.
So, here we go again. Sehwag is opening; who bats three remains to be seen.
Well, I guess Maxwell hasn’t made a score yet...
Updated
Rajasthan finish on 191-6; Punjab need 192 to win.
Er, good toss to lose.
20th over: Rajasthan 191-6 (Binny 12, Samson 5) Samson slaps his first ball between midwicket and long-on, as the fielders converge - that’s four. And there’re four more, when, after a single, Binny carves through cover - Anureet needs to reduce the pace off if he’s going to offer width outside off. It gets worse, too, Binny mullering six high over square-leg.
WICKET! Nair c Patel b Anureet 25 (Rajasthan 175-6)
Nair heaves towards square-leg but doesn’t get anywhere near enough it, so is comfortably caught.
Updated
20th over: Rajasthan 175-5 (Nair 25, Binny 1) Nair has got himself on strike for the final over, to be bowled by Anureet.
19th over: Rajasthan 175-5 (Nair 25, Binny 1) Nair - for they crossed - clears his front leg and shmices Sandeep over square-leg for six. I’m not convinced it’ll matter, but punjab have come back well here, in that the run rate hasn’t really increased. It’s still brutal, but nowhere near as bad as looked likely.
WICKET! Faulkner c Maxwell b Sandeep 1 (Rajasthan 166-5)
Faulkner swings big and connects too, arcing one to long-on. But Maxwell is on the boundary and times his leap perfectly to snaffle the snaffle above his head - that was brilliant.
Updated
19th over: Rajasthan 166-4 (Nair 17, Faulkner 1) Sandeep will now finish off, and he begins with a leg-side wide.
18th over: Rajasthan 166-4 (Nair 17, Faulkner 1) One slips out of Johnson’s fingers and whizzes past Faulkner’s ear - a no ball. 12 off the over, somehow.
Updated
WICKET! Rahane c Saha b Johnson 74 (Rajasthan 162-4)
Another slower ball sliding across Rahane, and he follows it looking to smack over midwicket. He edges instead, and Saha takes a great catch moving forward - excellent footwork and take.
Updated
18th over: Rajasthan 162-3 (Rahane 74, Nair 16) Johnson returns for his final over, and tries a bouncer that’s called wide. Nair is dancing around in his crease, and goes down the ground, getting two, then lifts to cover for one more. This brings Rahane onto strike, and again, he shows delicious dexterity, retreating in the crease, spotting the slower ball, and flipping four over square-leg. What a shot that was, what a player he is.
Updated
17th over: Rajasthan 154-3 (Rahane 70, Nair 13) Successive reverse-sweeps from Nair, one for two and one harder, for four, make a good first half of the over. And, though Shivam prevent boundaries thereafter, another seven runs make for another expensive set.
Updated
16th over: Rajasthan 142-3 (Rahane 67, Nair 4) Just as this was looking like a good over - well, it still it - Nair swipes his first ball to the fence at cover, making nine from it.
Updated
WICKET! Smith c Maxwell b A Patel 0 (Rajasthan 137-3)
A golden duck! I wonder what he meant by that! The ball is short, so Smith goes straight to his leg-side heave, but picks out the man on the midwicket fence.
Updated
16th over: Rajasthan 137-2 (Rahane 66, Smith 0) It’s Smith in next, not Faulkner - oddly, perhaps - and Patel has the ball.
WICKET! Hooda b Shivam Sharma 19 (Rajasthan 136-2)
Hoods is not at al pleased with himself, but he’s done the necessary. He stretches to sweep one directed at the pads, misses, and leaves.
Updated
15th over: Rajasthan 136-1 (Rahane 65, Hooda 19) So, it’s Shivam Sharma rinsed with the ball, and he drags one down as Ajinkya jinks down, so he adjusts, feet working the position to stroke six over cover. Then, a single, after which Hooda welts to midwicket, bisecting the converging fielders for four.
14th over: Rajasthan 123-1 (Rahane 56, Hooda 15) Anureet returns, and after a dot, Rahane advances to hoist six to square-leg - on the boundary, Sandeep is just too short to catch or parry, so that’s another excellent fifty. Nine from the over, and a tactics break to achieve world peace.
Updated
13th over: Rajasthan 114-1 (Rahane 48, Hooda 14) With Watson gone, Sehwag feels able to bowl Maxwell. To his likely chagrin, Hooda feels able to hammer six into the stands at long-on, and then again, this time into the upper tier; 11 for the tournament so far. Chris Morris tells us anything beyond 160 is decent, but now, he’s hoping fo mo.
Updated
12th over: Rajasthan 99-1 (Rahane 46, Hooda 1) Oooh nice, Hooda to the wicket, with his tournament strike-rate of above 200. Careful what you wish for, or, more properly put, careful as regards that for which you wish.
WICKET! Watson st Saha b A Patel 45 (Rajasthan 95-1)
My days, Punjab needed that. Watson galumphs down the track to bludgeon yet another boundary, but Patel sees him coming and snaps down a quicker one. He misses by miles, and is comfortably stumped.
Updated
11th over: Rajasthan 94-0 (Rahane 42, Watson 45) In a bid to staunch the flow, Johnson returns - that’s him and Sandeep with only two overs left between them. Good luck, death bowling spinners. Nee wickets follow, along with four singles.
10th over: Rajasthan 90-0 (Rahane 40, Watson 43) Patel continues, Rahane manoeuvres him for two and one, and then Watson, his eye in, crouches to slam six more over long-off. Forget what I said about 180. “Watson, Watson” go the crowd, exhorted by the kids’ party entertainer the Royals have employed.
9th over: Rajasthan 78-0 (Rahane 35, Watson 36) Man, everyone looks buzzed after those debates. Shivam Sharma into the attack with his off-spin - that might encourage Watson to up the pace. And, after a single to Rahane gives him the strike, he bench-presses four down the ground, then stretches into a lunge and absolutely bases six over long-on. Oh dear - next, a cart low through midwicket, Anureet misfields and that’s four more, then four more to straight long-on. watson has doubled his score in that over, and yeah yeah, uh-oh, Punjab are in trouble.
8th over: Rajasthan 59-0 (Rahane 34, Watson 18) Anureet returns as Punjab search for a wicket; he doesn’t get one. And, after a reasonable over, five from the first five, Watson swings and a looping edge gets four; botheration, he thinks. Oh! It’s a break! Let’s talk tactics and commercials!
7th over: Rajasthan 50-0 (Rahane 32, Watson 12) Axar Patel into the attack, and he’s taken for two singles before a single off a wide; not bad, really. Then three more singles, and that’s that - I wonder what Rajasthan reckon constitutes a good score. 180, perhaps?
Updated
6th over: Rajasthan 43-0 (Rahane 29, Watson 10) Mitch gets his go at What, Son? and what a phenomenal sight he is racing in, the wiry whip of absurd athleticism. It takes Watson four deliveries to manufacture a single, and then one that’s too straight is picked up by Rahane with amazing alacrity, the ball dismissed over midwicket for four. And there’s another! This time crunched through point! I wonder if Rahane regrets that this form has come to him during a T20 competition, not a Test series.
5th over: Rajasthan 34-0 (Rahane 21, Watson 9) Sandeep continues, and Rajasthan won’t mind that - if these two can stay in, there’re runs to be made very shortly. Shane Watson’s chest is a quite wondrous construction - he must’ve crunched his nipples in his da’s chest expanders a fair few times as an infant.
4th over: Rajasthan 32-0 (Rahane 21, Watson 8) Here’s comes the one like Mitch, as he’d be known on mid-90s pirate radio station that was part of the junglist/the jungle is massive. And he’s on the money right away, looking for the sticks and clattering Rahane on the pad second ball. The subsequent appeal is rejected, and it looked a little high to me, before Johnson follows up with more of the same, this time Rahane inside-edging onto the pad. But look at Rahane! First, he top edges a bumper that goes for a one-bounce four to fine-leg, and then cracks a beautiful drive to the point fence that’s so beautiful it induces applause from Sehwag; what an honour!
3rd over: Rajasthan 22-0 (Rahane 12, Watson 8) I’ve said it before, but Sandeep Sharma looks a Test bowler to my inexpert eyes. Again, he beats Rahane with inswing, again, contacts the pad, but this time, there was an inside-edge. And next, an outswinger that induces an inswing-expecting leading edge - the ball loops over cover and drops safe. But, Sandeep can’t keep the pressure on, a wide one allowing Rahane to glide four to cover, but, he does, an outswinger inducing a play and miss. Fairly even start - no flaying, but no wickets either.
2nd over: Rajasthan 14-0 (Rahane 4, Watson 8) As usual, it’s Anureet from the other end, and Watson sorts him right out second ball - it’s short - pasting a square drive past Maxwell at point. Then, a half-volley, and off it goes again, but Miller pursues and saves a single on the rope at cover.
1st over: Rajasthan 6-0 (Rahane 4, Watson 1) Rahane turns Sharma away, bringing Watson onto strike - it’ll be interesting to see how he handles a bloke who swings it both ways, given the gigantism that afflicts his front pad. And there it is, the first ball crunching into it - there’s a phat appeal - but the ball was going down, and they bustle through for a leg-bye. Then, Rahane does very well to insert bat between inswinger and stumps for two, and two singles from the remaining three deliveries complete the scoring for the over.
And here’s some email from Emma John, with news of the Guardian’s cricket and comedy show:
“We have our next fantastic edition of The Cricket Pitch, a live cricket + comedy show with Alex Horne, Andy Zaltzman, Dean Headley & more, next Monday? And that you can get tickets here...”
The excellent Sandeep Sharma is poised.
The players are middled, and Rahane and What-Ho are stretching. Talking of What-Ho, it’ll be interesting to see how he handles his pal Mitch-Ho.
Wa teams:
Rajasthan: Rahane, Watson, Smith, Nair, Samson, Binny, Hooda, Faulkner, Morris, Tewatia, Tambe.
Punjab: Sehwag, Vijay, Saha, Maxwell, Marsh, Miller, Johnson, Axar, Anureet, Shivam Sharma, Sandeep Sharma.
So, Rajasthan go with two leggies - I’d expect plenty of googlies - and Punjab bring in Marsh for Bailey.
Updated
BREAKING NEWS: Mark Butcher is still on holiday.
Of course, Rajasthan also have the leading run scorer in the competition so far: the delightful Ajinkya Rahane. Though it’s hard not to quite want him and the next few to fail, given the prospect of Faulkner and Hooda batting thegither.
Punjab win the toss, and will field.
Virender Sehwag, knowing he’s about to be on telly, without his helmet, has removed his glasses - he’s captaining, as George Bailey is injured. He reckons the pitch looks a bit damp, and notes that Rajasthan have successfully chased here. What-Ho Watson is happy to bat first, but isn’t asked whether that’s what he’d have chosen to do.
Updated
Preamble
Rajasthan Royals are in nick: they’ve won five games in a row, four in dominating style. It’s possible that this is down to their well-balanced squad, but, more likely, is simply down to the presence of the infallible Steven Smith. Punjab, though they have their own quota of superb players, have no one as shamanic; they’ll have to go some to win here.
Daniel will be here shortly but in the meantime, catch up with how Rajasthan Royals made it five wins out of five against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.
An unbeaten 76 from Ajinkya Rahane made light work of a below-par batting effort from the Chennai Super Kings to give the Rajasthan Royals victory in the battle of the IPL’s two unbeaten sides. The game was far from close, with Rahane and the returning Royals captain, Shane Watson, putting on the franchise’s record opening stand of 144, carving off a vast chunk of CSK’s 156.
Despite being fancied as heavy favourites for this tie in Ahmedabad, where temperatures were in excess of 43C, tight bowling and some fine fielding saw the visitors reduced to 39 for three inside seven overs, with Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis registering only 17 between them.
