• Gujarat fall just short after Miller magic

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    David Miller’s half-century wasn’t enough for the Gujarat Titans, who suffered a four-run defeat to the Delhi Capitals in Delhi on Wednesday.

    Miller scored 55 off 23 balls – including 22 runs off an Anrich Nortje over – before falling to Mukesh Kumar in the 18th over. Gujarat ended on 220-8.

    Delhi earlier posted 224-4 thanks to captain Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 88 off 43 balls, Axar Patel’s 66 off 43 and a seven-ball cameo from Tristan Stubbs (26*).

    It was Pant’s third half-century of this season after 14 months away from top level cricket following a frightening car accident when his Mercedes rammed into a barrier, flipped and caught fire in December 2022.

    The wicketkeeper-batsman suffered multiple injuries and was rushed to hospital before being airlifted to Mumbai for further treatment and surgery.

    He has not only fired with the bat in the IPL but his sharp work behind the stumps prompted Delhi’s director of cricket Sourav Ganguly and coach Ricky Ponting to back the India star for making the national team for the World Cup in June.

    Up and coming Australian batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk gave Delhi a strong start with his 14-ball 23 but medium-pace bowler Sandeep Warrier took three wickets including two in one over.

    Patel, a bowling all-rounder promoted to No 3 in the batting, brought up his fifty with a boundary off Rashid before another Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad had him caught at long-on.

    Pant reached his fifty in style with a six off Mohit Sharma and then hammered the medium-pace bowler in a 31-run 20th over when he finished with a six, four and three hits over the fence to raise the roof.

    Stubbs watched the blitz from the other end after he smashed Sai Kishore in the 19th over, which went for 22 runs, for his unbeaten seven-ball 26.

    In reply, Gujarat lost skipper Shubman Gill for six off Nortje before impact substitute Sai Sudarshan smashed 65 off 39 balls.

    Gujarat lost regular wickets but the left-handed Miller smashed Nortje for three sixes and a four to give Delhi a scare before his departure.

    Rashid kept up the fight till the end as Gujarat needed 19 off the final over and five on the last ball.

    But Mukesh kept his nerve in the final over for Delhi’s fourth win in nine matches as they kept their playoff hopes alive.

    © Agence France-Presse

    Photo: BCCI

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    Simon Borchardt