Punjab, Lucknow boost IPL play-off hopes
Opener Prabhsimran Singh hit his maiden IPL century to set up a 31-run win for Punjab Kings and push Delhi Capitals out of the play-off race, while Lucknow Super Giants beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets, AFP reported.
Sunrisers batsman Heinrich Klaasen was docked 10 percent of his match fee for showing dissent after a controversial no-ball call that sparked the home crowd to shout abuse at the Lucknow dug-out.
The match was briefly stopped as the umpires spoke to the Lucknow bench, including an animated coach Andy Flower, whose team moved back into the top four.
In the second game of the day, Punjab kept their play-off hopes alive after Prabhsimran hit 103 off 65 balls and guided his team to 167-7.
Harpreet Brar then returned figures of 4-30 with his left-arm spin as Delhi suffered a collapse to end on 136-8 despite a strong start from skipper David Warner, who hit 54 off 27 balls.
“The way we brought the game back was amazing,” Punjab skipper Shikhar Dhawan said. “Credit goes to the spinners and then the fast bowlers for closing it out.”
Punjab moved to sixth in the 10-team table led by holders Gujarat Titans. Delhi remain bottom of the heap and are out of the running.
Warner seemed to have taken the game away with his power hitting but Brar led the spin charge, removing Phil Salt for 21 as Delhi slipped from 69-0 to 88-6.
Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar joined in to trap Mitchell Marsh lbw before Brar struck twice in an over to dismiss Rilee Rossouw and Warner, who registered his 60th IPL fifty.
Warner said his team had “found the right combination” d
uring the tournament after a nightmare start.
In Hyderabad, Indian batsman Prerak Mankad’s 64 and a series of key partnerships including an unbeaten 58-run stand with Nicholas Pooran, who hit a 13-ball 44, steered the team’s successful chase of 183 with four balls to spare.
Mankad first set the pace with a 73-run partnership with Marcus Stoinis, who hit a 25-ball 40.
Mankad raced to his maiden IPL fifty before West Indies international Pooran smashed three consecutive sixes in a 31-run over to start his sparkling innings.
Earlier, Hyderabad’s Abdul Samad, who hit an unbeaten 37 in a 58-run stand with Klaasen, received a waist-high delivery that was called a no-ball by the on-field umpire but overturned on review.
The delivery appeared to be above the batsman’s waist but the review went in Lucknow’s favour, cancelling out the run and the free hit, with the home crowd venting their anger.
“Disappointed by the crowd to be honest, that’s not what you want,” said Klaasen after his 29-ball knock.
“That also broke the momentum, not great umpiring either, but you can’t take matters in your own hands.”