• Stubbs shines as Delhi down Mumbai

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    Tristan Stubbs continued his excellent form as the Delhi Capitals beat the Mumbai Indians by 10 runs on Saturday.

    Stubbs scored 48* off 25 balls after Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk had smashed 84 off 27 to fire Delhi to 257-4 in another IPL high-scorer on Saturday.

    Delhi, at their home Arun Jaitley Stadium, posted their best total in the T20 tournament, a day after the Punjab Kings chased down a record target of 262.

    Delhi’s previous best was 231-4 in 2011 against the Punjab Kings. This edition the Sunrisers Hyderabad have twice smashed IPL records with totals of 277 and 287.

    The bowlers kept five-time champions Mumbai down to 247-9 despite a valiant 32-ball 63 by Tilak Varma as Delhi boosted their playoff hopes with a fifth win in 10 matches.

    Twenty-two-year-old Fraser-McGurk, who has taken his IPL debut season by storm with three half-centuries in five matches, started with two fours and a six off England pace bowler Luke Wood in a 19-run first over.

    “That’s my role, go out there and score as many as I can and get the team off to a nice start,” Fraser-McGurk, who has a strike-rate of 237.50, said after his blitz.

    The youngster kept up the charge with sixes and fours to reach his fifty in 15 balls with a hit over the fence and put on 114 runs with opening partner Abishek Porel, who hit 36.

    Piyush Chawla, a leg-spinner, finally denied Fraser-McGurk, who went unsold in the auction before Delhi got him as injury replacement, his century.

    There was no stopping Delhi as Shai Hope (17-ball 41), captain Rishabh Pant (29 off 19 deliveries) and Stubbs pummelled the opposition attack.

    Stubbs hammered left-arm quick Wood for five fours and a six in a 26-run 18th over and helped Delhi finish strongly in his 25-ball blitz.

    Mumbai lost regular wickets and despite captain Hardik Pandya’s 46 off 24 balls.

    The IPL heavyweights have endured a tough season after Pandya replaced veteran Rohit Sharma as captain and got booed across venues.

    Pandya hit 46 off 16 balls but it was a 70-run partnership between Varma and Tim David, who hit 37 off 17 balls that raised Mumbai’s hopes, but Delhi kept calm.

    David fell lbw to Mukesh Kumar after a four and a six and Varma was run out at the start of the final over as Mumbai remained ninth on the 10-team table with just three wins.

    Kumar and fellow medium-pace bowler and impact substitute Rasikh Salam took three wickets each.

    © Agence France-Presse

    Photo: BCCI

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    Simon Borchardt