Bangalore Royal Challengers

IPL 2010: Deccan Chargers beat Bangalore Royal Challengers at Nagpur

The Deccan Chargers overcame a terrible start to their Indian Premier League game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore to win by 13 runs and keep their hopes of making the semi-finals alive.

Dale Steyn’s opening burst reduced the Chargers to 14 for three but they managed to post 151 for six and defended that by bowling out the Challengers for 138. Steyn was on a hat-trick when he had Adam Gilchrist and Tirumalasetti Suman caught for golden ducks and he then bowled compatriot Herschelle Gibbs for 12 to leave the Chargers reeling.

Despite Steyn returning figures of three for 18, the Chargers rallied and a vital innings of 51 from Rohit Sharma, ably supported by Mohnish Mishra’s 41, got them back on track, the pair adding 82 for the fourth wicket. Andrew Symonds (19) and Ryan Harris (13 not out) weighed in with late runs to propel the Chargers past 150 and to what proved to be a winning score.

The Challengers also made a poor start, losing Manish Pandey to the first ball of the innings when he edged Harris to Gilchrist. Jacques Kallis (27), Rahul Dravid (49) and Robin Uthappa, who thumped 34 in 20 balls, appeared to be steering the 2009 runners-up towards victory but the Chargers, chasing their third straight win, refused to give in and chipped away with wickets at key stages.

Uthappa smashed three sixes but his dismissal, clean bowled one ball before that of Steyn put Harmeet Singh on a hat-trick in the penultimate over and more importantly, snuffed out the Challengers’ chances of winning.
Harris, RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha also took two wickets apiece.