Quinton de Kock played a leading role in the Lucknow Super Giants’ six-wicket win over the Delhi Capitals in the IPL on Thursday.

The Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman scored 80 off 52 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, as Lucknow reached their target of 150 with two balls to spare.

De Kock eventually fell to Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm wrist spin as did his opening partner Rahul, after scoring 24 off 25 balls.

Indian all-rounder Krunal Pandya hit one six in his 14-ball innings of 19 and shared key partnerships with Deepak Hooda (11 off 13 balls) and rookie Ayush Badoni (10 off three) to seal the win.

Yadav was the most potent Delhi bowler, taking 2-31 in 3.4 overs, while Lalit Yadav, an uncapped all-rounder who hails from Delhi, took 1-21 in four. Shardul Thakur picked up the only other wicket.

All batsmen, except Prithvi Shaw, for Delhi, and De Kock found it hard to hit free-flowing strokes on the wicket.

When Shaw opened – hitting 61 off 34 balls, with nine fours and two sixes – Delhi looked set for a much higher total.

But after Shaw fell to the off-spin of Krishnappa Gowtham, who only gave away 23 runs in his four overs, the Lucknow bowlers put a brake on the Delhi innings.

Shaw’s Australian partner, David Warner, only scored four off 12 balls before falling to rookie spinner Ravi Bishnoi.

Rovman Powell also fell to Bishnoi – who took 2-22 in his four overs – after scoring three off 10 balls.

Pant (39 off 36 balls) and Sarfaraz Khan (36 off 28) remained unbeaten and took Delhi to a respectable 149-3.

© Agence France-Presse