Delhi Capitals trip up Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 runs

Axar Patel’s all-round performance helped the last-placed Delhi Capitals trip up Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven runs in the Indian Premier League, according to The Associated Press.

Patel scored 34 runs as Delhi struggled to 144-9, then he took 2-21 in four overs as Hyderabad slumped to 137-6 and failed to complete a routine chase.

Beleaguered Delhi’s second win was Hyderabad’s third straight loss.

Hyderabad needed 13 off the last over and Delhi gave the ball to medium-pacer Mukesh Kumar with an extra fielder inside the circle because Delhi was penalized for not finishing its overs in time. Kumar wasn’t fazed: He gave up only five runs.

Delhi chose to bat first and lost opener Philip Salt for a golden duck, caught behind off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who picked 2-11 in four overs.

David Warner (21) and Mitchell Marsh (25) shared 38 runs but the innings never really acquired any momentum.

Washington Sundar wrecked the Delhi top order. He dismissed Warner, Sarfaraz Khan and Aman Khan in the space of five deliveries in the eighth over. Delhi suddenly went from 57-2 to 62-5.

Patel and Manish Pandey each scored 34 in a stand of 69 off 59 balls in what proved to be a match-winning sixth-wicket partnership. Delhi had the launch pad for a higher score but a second collapse dropped it from 131-5 to 139-9 in the space of 11 deliveries.

Hyderabad opener Mayank Agarwal led the chase with 49 off 39 balls. They were still on course to win at 69-1 in the 12th over but then were squeezed by the Delhi spinners.

Hyderabad lost four wickets within 16 deliveries and the game turned on its head. Suddenly, the asking rate climbed to more than nine per over.

Heinrich Klaasen smacked 31 off 19 balls and Sundar was 24 not out off 15, but he and Marco Jansen couldn’t accelerate in the last two overs.