Sun dazzles on debut

Sunrisers Hyderabad achieved a historic high by making the play-off on debut in the sixth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) with a resounding five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here on Sunday. After the bowlers did a remarkable containing job having the Riders restricted at 130 for seven wickets, the host batsmen took over and accomplished the target with seven balls to spare. Of course, it was after surviving some moments of anxiety midway through the chase.

Openers Parthiv Patel (47) and Shikar Dhawan (42) clicked straightaway and chased down the target with gusto. However, a middle order collapse created panic. Spinner Iqbal Abdulla was in fine nick and sent three batsmen back to the pavilion to have the host in tatters at 108 for four. However, a rollicking cameo by Darren Sammy swung the momentum and pitch-forked Sunrisers Hyderabad into the higher league. Earlier, opting to bat, Kolkata could only manage the three-figure mark because of Yusuf Pathan who struck a whirlwind 49 from 29 balls. Thisara Perera fired the first salvo when he scalped Bisla in the fifth over when the team score was 25. Skipper Gautam Gambhir fell to a run out wit his individual score on ten. Kolkata was 89 for the loss of four wickets when Dale Steyn removed Jacques Kallis (24) by having him caught by Shikar Dhawan.A Amit Mishra gave visitors fifth blow by trapping RN ten Doeschate leg before on the first delivery of the 17th over. Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 130/7 (Yusuf Pathan 49no, J Kallis 24, Dale Steyn 2/24) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 132/5 (18.5 Overs) (Parthiv Patel 47, Shikar Dhawan 42, Darren Sammy 17no, Iqbal Abdulla 3/29).