A 112-run opening stand from Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum helped the Gujarat Lions to a tense one-run win over the Delhi Daredevils.
After finding themselves in trouble on 16-3 after 3.6 overs in their chase of the 173-run target set by the Gujuarat Lions, JP Duminy (48) and Chris Morris (82) showed some staying power as they combined for an 87-run fifth-wicket partnership from just 39 balls. But it wasn’t enough to upset the Lions.
Earlier Dwayne Smith (53) and Brendon McCullum (60) combined for an opening partnership of 112 runs in 10.4 overs before Smith, who hit five fours and three sixes, was out lbw off the bowling of Imran Tahir.
McCullum was sent packing in the very next over when he was bowled by Chris Morris after smashing six fours and three sixes in his 36-ball stand at the wicket.
The Gujarat Lions lost regular wickets after that as the South African bowling trio of Tahir, Morris and Duminy claimed a further four scalps and kept the Lions to just 172-6 off their 20 overs.
The Delhi Daredevils lost three early wickets as Sanju Samson (1), Quinton de Kock (5) and Karun Nair (9) were all back in the dugout inside the first four overs.
Duminy (48) and Rishabh Pant (20) then looked to steady the ship as they put on 41 runs for the fourth wicket, but Pant was caught at deep square leg by Praveen Kumar off James Faulkner in the 11th over with the score on 57-4.
Duminy and Morris then combined for their 87-run stand as Morris bludgeoned his way to a 17-ball half century, smashing 7 sixes and one four to score the fastest fifty this season so far.
Duminy then departed for 48 runs, with three fours and one six, in the 18th over caught by Dwayne Bravo off his own bowling.
With the score on 144-5, Chris Morris kept the momentum going as he scored a further 23 runs to end on 82 not-out from 32 balls, with four fours and eight sixes, but in the end the Delhi Daredevils fell short as Bravo and Praveen Kumar bowled an excellent last three overs to see the Gujarat Lions home for the win.
Photo: BCCI
