• Faf’s 50 sets up Delhi’s run chase

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    Faf du Plessis helped the Delhi Capitals down the Sunrisers Hyderabad for their second straight win in the IPL on Sunday.

    Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Starc returned figures of 5-35 as Delhi bowled out Hyderabad for 163 in 18.4 overs in their second home at Visakhapatnam.

    South African veteran Du Plessis then smashed 50 off 27 balls and put on 81 runs for the first wicket with Australia batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk, who hit 38, as Delhi achieved their target with four overs and seven wickets to spare.

    Hyderabad’s innings started badly as Abhishek Sharma was run out early for one when he was involved in a mix-up with fellow opener Travis Head.

    Starc then struck twice in one over to send back Ishan Kishan and Nitish Reddy and then got fellow Australian Head caught behind for 22 as Hyderabad slipped to 37-4 in 4.1 overs.

    Indian batter Aniket Verma, who top-scored with 74, and Proteas wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen then put on an attacking stand of 77 in an attempt to hit back.

    Klaasen fell on 32 off 19 balls to Mohit Sharma, but Aniket kept up the charge in an eye-catching 41-ball knock laced with five fours and six sixes.

    Fraser-McGurk ended Aniket’s blitz with a stunning catch at deep mid-wicket when he timed his jump to pluck a travelling ball out of the air and hand spinner Kuldeep Yadav a prized wicket.

    Kuldeep, a left-arm wrist spinner, claimed figures of 3-22 before Starc completed his five to wrap up the Hyderabad innings.

    In reply, Du Plessis came out firing as he smashed India fast bowler Mohammed Shami for a six and three fours in a 15-run third over to set up the chase.

    Du Plessis fell after reaching 50 to Indian leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari who took a beating at the hands of Fraser-McGurk but hit back with his second wicket in the same over.

    Ansari later bowled KL Rahul round his legs before Abhishek Porel, on 34, and Tristan Stubbs, on 21, steered the team home in an unbeaten stand of 51.

    Delhi, under new captain Axar Patel, have rebuilt the team in their hunt for a first IPL title and brought in England great Kevin Pietersen as mentor.

    Hyderabad, winners in 2016 under David Warner, have two losses and one victory in three outings this season.

    © Agence France-Presse

    Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images

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    Simon Borchardt