Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) dominated with both bat and ball to beat Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Wednesday.
Electing to bat first on winning the toss, SRH posted a challenging total of 191/4 in their allotted 20 overs with quickfire half-centuries from Kane Williamson and Shikhar Dhawan.
Williamson scored 89 runs off 51 balls with six boundaries and five sixes while Dhawan posted 50 runs, studding his 50-ball stint with seven boundaries and a six.
In reply, Delhi could only manage 176/5. Shreyas Iyer was their highest scorer, remaining unbeaten on 50 runs which came off 31 balls with five hits to the fence and two sixes.
Mohammed Siraj was the most successful among the SRH bowlers with figures of 2/39.
Delhi suffered an early blow when opener Sam Bilings flicked a Siraj ball straight into the hands of Deepak Hooda at midwicket.
Sanju Samson and Karun Nair then joined hands to post a 71-run stand in 45 balls.
The visitors seemed to be coasting along nicely at that point, but the loss of two wickets in the space of just three balls completely changed the situation.
Nair was run out while attempting a run off Yuvraj Singh thanks to an accurate throw by substitute fielder V. Shankar.
Rishabh Pant, the next man in, registered a first ball duck when he tried to hit the ball outside the park but could only manage to find David Warner at long on.
Samson was the next to go, holing out in the deep while attempting to smash a slowish delivery from Siraj which was pitched at a full length just outside the off stump.
Samson was in good form, scoring 42 runs off 33 deliveries with three boundaries and a six.
Iyer and Angelo Matthews added 70 runs off 40 deliveries between them, but it was never going to be enough.
Earlier, brilliant batting from Dhawan and Williamson helped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) post a challenging 191/4.
After losing skipper David Warner in the second over, Dhawan and Williamson thrashed Delhi bowlers all around the park as they together slammed 11 boundaries and five sixes to put Hyderabad in a comfortable position.
Hyderabad started of on a steady note but in the second over, Warner was dismissed by pacer Chris Morris.
Morris's back of a length delivery outside the off-stump took the leading edge and Amit Mishra ran from fine leg to take a superb catch.
With the scoreboard reading 12/1, Williamson joined Dhawan and both forged a 136-run partnership for the second wicket in 14.2 overs before the former was sent packing in the 17th over by Morris.
The Kiwi skipper, who blasted six boundaries and five sixes in his 51-ball knock, tried to flick a full length delivery but got a top-edge to the deep mid-wicket and Iyer then completed a diving catch to dismiss Williamson.
With three overs remaining and new batsman Yuvraj Singh (3) at the crease, Dhawan, who was playing as support for Williamson, shifted gears and started attacking Delhi bowlers.
After slamming a couple of boundaries, Dhawan was also dismissed by Morris in the 19th over.
Yuvraj, who was dismissed on a golden duck in the last match, once again disappointed as he was bowled by Morris in the next delivery.
Moises Henriques (12) and Hooda (9) then completed the proceedings for Hyderabad with both players adding 21 runs in 1.4 overs to set a challenging target.
--IANS
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