The Delhi Capitals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 21 runs in the Indian Premier League on Thursday, thanks to a century partnership between David Warner and Rovman Powell.
In Delhi’s big score of 207-3, Warner hammered an unbeaten 92 off 58 balls and Powell muscled in 67 not out off just 35 balls.
Hyderabad, which won the toss and chose to bat, was suffocated by Delhi’s pace in the powerplay before getting dismissed for 186-8 to lose its third game in a row.
As the competition for a playoff spot heated up, Delhi moved up to No. 5 with 10 points from ten games. Both the Hyderabad and Punjab Kings have ten points, but their net run rates are lower.
Hyderabad’s best scorers were Nicholas Pooran (62 off 34 balls) and Aidan Markram (42), but Delhi kept picking up wickets at its home ground of Brabourne Stadium this season.
Khaleel Ahmed got 3-30, while Anrich Nortje finished with 1-35 after taking the crucial wicket of skipper Kane Williamson early.
Pooran blasted six sixes and two fours before being caught in the deep in the 18th over by Powell of Shardul Thakur (2-44).
Earlier, Warner and Powell dominated Hyderabad’s quick bowlers with a magnificent 122-run partnership off 66 balls, with Powell earning a handful of opportunities.
Hyderabad performed well in the first six overs to hold Delhi batsmen in check, with fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar getting a thin edge of Mandeep Singh off the fifth delivery and Mitchell Marsh (10) offering a poor return catch to Sean Abbott.
Rishabh Pant scored 26 off 16 balls, including three consecutive sixes off Shreyas Gopal, before being replaced by the leg-spinner in the same ninth over. Pant’s dismissal against a spinner was his first of the season.
Powell was on 18 when captain Williamson lost a sitter at mid-wicket against India’s new fast bowling sensation Umran Malik.
Powell took advantage of the missed opportunity in the final overs, smashing five more sixes and scoring three consecutive boundaries off Malik’s quick bowling.
Malik has been costly in the previous two games, taking 5-25 against the table-topping Gujarat Titans. The paceman had 0-48 in the previous game against Chennai Super Kings and then 0-52 against Hyderabad.
“I didn’t need any additional drivers to beat SRH. We’ve seen what’s happened in the past, and winning the game was satisfying. Powell hit a few of sixes that went a long distance,” David Warner remarked.