Game called off due to rain
And we’re done, done, onto the next one. Shame, because it could’ve been a tasty run chase. Both teams get a point, and we’ll be back again tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the #RCBvsRR game at Chinnaswamy Stadium has been called off due to rain. Both teams get a point each #RCB #RR #IPL
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2015
Mark Butcher, in among some banter with Michael Vaughan, says that unless it’s stopped raining by 23.30 Indian time, then there won’t be enough time to get everything mopped up and thus no game.
It’s currently 23.29. And raining.
Ah. Apparently the umpires emerged for an inspection only for the gods - who hate you, me and cricket - to decide it’s time for more rain. All most irritating.
Right, we could be in business...
The rain has subsided and the covers are coming off. Two super soppers on the field. #RCBvsRR #PepsiIPL #RCB #RR #IPL
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2015
As a reminder, we need five overs to constitute a game and the latest we can start is 23.58 local time, which is 19.28 BST.
No update on when play will start just yet, but we will start losing overs in about three minutes. It’s still raining and the covers are on, although the groundstaff are chugging back and forth on their wee super-soppers.
The rain is easing off, apparently. The super soppers are working, it says here. We might have some cricket at some point, it seems.
While we’re waiting for updates, here’s a piece from Cricinfo on the boy Sarfaraz and his, erm, ‘encouraging’ father.
How much is too much, though? Naushad is with Sarfaraz at home, he travels with him, he coaches him, he is always in his ear. You wonder if it is Naushad’s dream that Sarfaraz is supposed to live. If at some point the father - always “coach” at a cricket ground - wants to prove a point to those he feels betrayed him. Is he pushing the kid too much? Does the boy really want to do this? Will he run out of steam too early?
“It may seem over the top from a distance, but sometimes the additional push is required to not let him distract from the main goal,” Naushad says. “After whatever he has seen at such a young age, he keeps on saying he wants to do it for me. After all, he has seen all those whom his father helped distance themselves from him once they achieved fame.”
Oh. Oh. Well this doesn’t look promising.
It is absolutely pouring down at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. We will keep you updated. #RCBvsRR #PepsiIPL pic.twitter.com/EdiKms88F7
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 29, 2015
Well, it briefly looked like there would be some cricket, with the groundstaff tentatively taking off some of the covers, but the rain returns and we all have to sit on our hands for a little bit longer.
Ah. Looks like it’s starting to rain and the covers are coming on.
Well, that’s no good.
Rajasthan Royals require 201 to win
Well that was a marvellous performances from Royal Challengers, with AB de Villiers and this extraordinary young whelp Sarfaraz Khan scoring some of the most delightful Twenty20 runs you’ll see. This lad looks like a hugely impressive, hugely cocky talent.
WICKET! Patel run out 6 (2) - RCB 200-7
Southee will bowl the final over, and Patel hits one that seems to hang in the air for an age, but it eventually sails over the boundary for six. They take a bye single, giving Sarfaraz the strike which he uses to pull a couple round the corner. He then cuts out to the cover fence and they take two, before Sarfaraz pushes a single down the ground from the last ball. Patel decides it should be two, Sarfaraz doesn’t fancy it, so the former is run out, but it hardly matters.
19th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 188-6 (Sarfaraz 40, Patel 0)
Harshal Patel is the new bat but as they crossed while the ball was in the air, Sarfaraz is back on strike. And strike it he does, showboating furiously with a ramp sweep off a full-toss that dances its way to the boundary. What a player this lad looks to be.
Updated
WICKET! Wiese c Southee b Kulkarni 11 (8) - RCB 184-6
Kulkarni is back and there’s a long conference before his first ball, which as it turns out wasn’t worth the wait, being as it is massively, massively wide. Wiese then firmly nails a full ball straight down the ground for four, before another boundary comes as Kulkarni goes wide again and it’s sliced just past a diving third man for a one-bounce four. Wiese then launches a ball from around off stump into the leg side, but it goes straight to Southee coming in from the fence, and he takes a simple enough catch.
18th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 175-5 (Sarfaraz 36, Wiese 3)
Tambe’s bowling, and Sarfaraz sinks to his knee and belts a sweep for four, before dancing down the track and absolutely mullering one over the straight boundary for six. A couple of singles, before Sarfaraz backs away with such gusto that he nearly falls over, but still smacks it over cover for a one-bounce four, eluding the dive of the fielder.
17th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 157-5 (Sarfaraz 19, Wiese 2)
David Wiese is the new batsman, and his first ball is a free hit, which he pulls, top-edges and it lands just in front of the fielder at fine leg. Watson’s back around the wicket to Sarfaraz, who flicks a full ball off his toes for a single, then Wiese cuts for another to third man. Watson bowls an off-side wide to Sarfaraz, who shoves a single to long-on from the last ball of the over.
Updated
WICKET! Karthik run out (Southee) 27 (18) - RCB 152-5
Watson’s bowling, and Sarfaraz takes an almighty hoy at one outside off that gets a big outside edge and flies to the boundary. He then plays a ramp shot that sails over where the slips would’ve been and it nearly goes all the way, bouncing about two yards in front of the boundary before bouncing beyond it. Watson tries coming around the wicket but oversteps and they take a single off the no-ball, Karthik wants two but is sent back and despite the dive he can’t get back in time, and Samson gathers the throw from Southee and whips off the bails.
16th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 142-4 (Sarfaraz 8, Karthik 27)
Faulkner is back. Apparently it’s his birthday, but his present so far has been to be spanked all over the place for 14 in his first over. A single from Sarfaraz, then Karthik misses a late cut outside off, but then an absolutely trousers leg-side wide. Another single brings Sarfaraz back to strike, and he plays a smashing upper-cut over point and it bounces once before crossing the boundary. Then, with the confidence and impudence of youth, tries to reverse sweep a slower ball from Faulkner, which he sort of does but only gets a single after it comes off the back of his bat. Karthik ends the over by whammering a pull through mid-wicket for four, and that’s 12 from the over. Happy birthday James!
15th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 130-4 (Sarfaraz 2, Karthik 22)
Tambe’s back, and Karthik steps back and shoves a single through mid-wicket. Sarfaraz cuts behind point but Rahane makes a good diving stop to keep them to one. Karthik has a bit more luck with a similar shot, but some good fielding on the fence keeps them to two. A couple more singles from the over.
14th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 124-4 (Sarfaraz 0, Karthik 18)
The child Sarfaraz Khan is the new man, and he defends the remaining ball in the over.
WICKET! De Villiers run out (Hooda) 57 (45) - RCB 124-4
Astounding shot from Karthik, who smacks a straight six with the most delightful high elbow that a textbook could possibly ask for. He misses outside off next, but then drops to one knee and sweeps to fine leg for four, two balls in a row. Brilliant batting, this, but they make a ghastly mess of things going for a quick single, there’s a mix-up and De Villiers is run-out at the keeper’s end thanks to a good throw from Hooda.
13th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 110-3 (De Villers 57, Karthik 4)
Tim Southee is back into the attack, but starts with a front-foot no ball that De Villiers takes a single from, so it’s a free hit for Karthik....which he misses going for a massive hoy over cow corner from a full toss. Surely an attempted yorker that went awry, but that’s a bullet dodged and no mistake. Five singles in a row (one a leg-bye) follow, but that’s a decent over from Southee, even if seven came from it.
12th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 103-3 (De Villers 55, Karthik 1)
Dinesh Karthik is the new man in, and he gets off the mark with a clipped single just wide of mid-on. ABdV then pushes the ball just past the stumps and Smith dives to save a couple of runs (they still run two), but could’ve hurt himself in the process. Still, no sympathy from AB, who hits one of those extraordinary almost front foot pulls for a big six over wide mid-on, to bring up his 50. A single to complete the scoring from that over.
WICKET! Mandeep lbw b Binny 27 (20) - RCB 93-3
And just as he was starting to really get going, Mandeep is out, going for a sweep from one that was too full to do so, he misses and is caught in front of off stump.
11th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 93-2 (De Villers 46, Mandeep 27)
Couple of singles, then Mandeep properly gets hold of a sort of whipped pull from a Kulkarni ball just back of a length, and it bounces just in front of the boundary before going over it. A wide down leg, then Mandeep comes down the track and gets an inside edge down to fine leg for one, and AB closes the over with two, punched down the ground.
10th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 83-2 (De Villers 43, Mandeep 21)
Mandeep comes down the track to Binny and goes for a whip through mid-wicket, but instead gets a thick outside edge that shoots off to the boundary, eluding an attempt to stop it from Faulkner that for now we’ll just call ‘half-hearted.’ Binny goes for a yorker but Mandeep does well to clip it off his toes for two, before an inside edge onto his pads dribbles out towards gully and they take one, although that seems to have been given as a leg-bye. ABdV charges the last ball but, if we’re being generous bails out of an aggressive shot, if we’re not he was beaten on the outside edge.
9th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 76-2 (De Villers 43, Mandeep 15)
Watson continues, and Mandeep shovels a single towards mid-wicket. Then ABdV gets a top-edge on attempted hook that flies over the keeper and gambols away to the boundary. De Villiers then tries to sweep Watson but misses and it hits his pad, but way outside off, something that doesn’t dissuade the cartoon Aussie from appealing. The over closes with two, pushed just in front of mid-wicket.
8th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 69-2 (De Villers 37, Mandeep 14)
Stuart Binny gets a go at the bowling, and manages to keep ABdV quiet for the first three balls. The fourth is punched just past point for a single, then the final ball of the over is short and ramped over where the slips would be by Mandeep, but third man comes around and it’s just a single. Good over from Binny, just two from it.
Meanwhile, Shane Warne has some important thoughts on the, erm, game.
.@sidmallya May the best team win, great start RR, but AB looking good, speaking of which. I think you guys have the best cheerleaders ! 👍
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) April 29, 2015
7th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 67-2 (De Villers 36, Mandeep 13)
Some spin now with Pravin Tambe into the attack, but it’s no odds to ABdV as he gets into place for a sweep super, super early and whelts the thing to the boundary just behind square. Four more next up as Tambe drops short, and De Villiers cuts wide of cover and to the boundary. He goes deep into the crease next up and pushes off the back foot for one, before Mandeep paddles a sweep around the corner for a couple, before flaying the thing the other way for four, to the cover fence.
6th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 52-2 (De Villers 27, Mandeep 7)
Shane Watson has the ball, the first two deliveries are bang on the money but the third and fifth are, well, whatever the opposite of bang on the money is. Bang off the money? Anyway, they’re both offside wides, that De Villiers reached for but couldn’t get a bat on. AB dabs a single down to third man to bring up the 50, and now he’s ruptured the grip on his bat and needs a replacement. Presumably someone will bring out one of those cone things. A couple more singles to finish the over.
5th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 47-2 (De Villers 25, Mandeep 6)
James Faulkner is into the attack, giving Mandeep a single which allows De Villiers to clip a leg-stump ball delightfully in front of mid-wicket and to the boundary. The next one - a little shorter but on a similar line - suffers the same fate, tucked past the man at short fine-leg. De Villiers doesn’t get anywhere near all of the next one, almost stopping on a slower ball and it zoots not far past the bowler’s outstretched hand, but still heads to the straight ropes. Another slowie, this time way outside off, is carved for a single to the sweeper to end a productive over for ABdV. 14 from it.
4th over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 33-2 (De Villers 12, Mandeep 5)
De Villiers gets himself into a curious position, sort of opening up his stance and coming across the stumps so (perhaps) thus doesn’t quite get a drive right, a thick edge flying past the slips and beyond the dive by Tambe at third man for four. The next four is rather more deliberate, though, cutting beyond a reasonably weak stop at cover and to the fence. It looks like he’s setting himself up to belt the thing over mid-wicket, but everything has been outside off, making things a little trickier.
3rd over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 25-2 (De Villers 4, Mandeep 5)
Youngster Mandeep Singh gets his knock away with an absolutely delightful cover drive to the boundary, so graceful the EXPLOSION sound effect the hype-happy broadcasters put on the replays didn’t seem awfully appropriate. The next one is guided to point and there shouldn’t be a run, but a misfield allows them to come through for one, then De Villiers manages a leg-bye for another.
WICKET! Kohli c Samson b Southee 1 (4) - RCB 19-2
Beautiful bowling from Southee, getting one to shape away just enough for Kohli to sort of prod at the thing without any real conviction, and he gets an edge that Samson takes diving to his right.
2nd over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 19-1 (De Villers 4, Kohli 1)
Dhawal Kulkarni has the ball from the other end, and Kohli carves him out to the cover sweeper for a single. That fielder isn’t there for De Villiers, though, and one that is marginally short and marginally wide is slapped out to that region and he gets four. AB gets giddy next up and gives Kulkarni the charge for a wide, length ball that he takes a lusty swing at but misses. Kulkarni ends the over with a brute of a short ball that De Villiers charges again but sways away from, and it kept going and going, eluding the despairing dive of keeper Sanju Samson and flying away for four byes.
1st over: Royal Challengers Bangalore 10-1 (De Villiers 0, Kohli 0)
AB de Villiers is the new man, and he plays out the remaining two balls of the over for no run. An eventful start.
WICKET! Gayle c Hooda b Southee 10 (4) - RCB 10-1
Southee gets away with a full, floaty one first up, as Gayle smacks it so straight that it hit the stumps at the other end and no run is taken, but he doesn’t escape twice. The next two balls are broadly similar, the first carved through the covers for four, the next wafted in that gloriously effortless manner of Gayle’s over mid-off for six. However, the next ball Gayle goes for the big one again but gets a thick inside edge and it flies to Hooda at square-leg who takes a routine catch.
Right, the teams are out. Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli are the batsman for RCB, while Tim Southee will open the bowling.
There is some light banter with Mark Butcher in Bengaluru occurring. He wasn’t wearing a jacket, which provided the meat of the badinage.
If you like your cricket a little more relaxed and tranquil, then our county blog, staffed by Vic Marks, Ali Martin and Richard Gibson, might be more your cup of tea. And here it is.
Team news
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Gayle, Kohli, De Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Karthik, Sarfaraz Khan, Wiese, Patel, Starc, Aaron, Chahal
Rajasthan Royals
Rahane, Watson, Smith, Nair, Samson, Binny, Hooda, Faulkner, Tambe, Ankit Sharma, Southee
Royals win the toss and will bowl
Rajasthan captain Shane Watson calls correctly, and asks RCB to bat. Nicely.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are so hot right now. Hotter than a snake’s ass in a wagon rut. Hotter than red leather flares. Hotter than a bowl of soup that’s just come out of the microwave. Hotter than Papa Bear’s porridge. Well, sort of. They have won their last two matches after losing the first three. Which is sort of hot. Certainly hotter than they were before. Or a bit warmer.
Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, are ice cold. Colder than a lake in winter. Colder than a pint of be...OK, yeah, you’re right. I’ll stop that now. They haven’t been doing awfully well, anyway, having not won in three (two defeats and a washout at the weekend), but their victories earlier in the competition mean they’re still second in the table.
So if form means anything, this is going to be a walkover, right? RCB will sashay their way insouciantly to victory, leaving a pack of baffled Royals in their wake. Mercifully, that is not how cricket, and indeed sport works, and with the sides boasting Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers & Mitchell Starc, and Steve Smith, Tim Southee and Shane Watson respectively, literally anything could happen.
Well, sort of. Should be a good game, anyway. Join us!
Start: 3.30pm BST
Nick will be along shortly.
