Delhi Daredevils 54 for 0 (Sehwag 38*) beat Kings XI Punjab 104 for 7 (Goel 38, Vettori 3-15) by ten wickets

Frequent showers ruined the first match of Sunday’s double-header at Newlands, reducing the target required by Delhi Daredevils to only 54 in six overs, a goal they reached with all wickets intact. The victory, however, was set up by Daniel Vettori’s remarkable spell which brought an abrupt halt to Kings XI Punjab’s burgeoning momentum and gave Delhi a manageable target to chase.

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Kings XI Punjab 104 for 7 (Goel 38, Vettori 3-15) v Delhi Daredevils
The pre-match conditions – overcast skies and a green-tinged pitch – indicated that the fast bowlers would find assistance at Newlands, but Delhi Daredevils’ inexperienced new-ball attack struggled to contain the Kings XI Punjab batsmen. However, Daniel Vettori’s three-over spell brought a sudden halt to Punjab’s burgeoning momentum and helped restrict them to 104 for 7 in a match that was reduced to 12 overs because of rain.

The start of the game was delayed by more than an hour and the boundaries also had to be shortened because of a wet outfield. Delhi packed their side with four seamers, although they left out Glenn McGrath, and Virender Sehwag gave them first use of the conditions. When the teams took the tactical time-out after six overs, however, Punjab had just lost Karan Goel after an aggressive partnership of 67 with Ravi Bopara.

Sehwag had used his fast bowlers in one-over spells before the break but turned to Vettori to stem the run-flow. Vettori had immediate success, trapping Bopara with a straighter one, and bowled flat and straight, conceding only one run off his first over. Victoria fast bowler Dirk Nannes bowled another economical over to two new batsmen – Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj Singh – before he held a well-judged catch at short fine-leg off Sangakkara’s top-edged sweep to give Vettori his second wicket.

With only three overs to go, Yuvraj found his timing, clouting Nannes and Vettori for sixes over wide long-on and midwicket. Just when Yuvraj seemed to be making a push towards a 120-plus score, Mahela Jayawardene called for an ill-advised run and Vettori broke the stumps with Yuvraj well short at the bowler’s end. Punjab then lost two more wickets within the space of three balls – Jayawardene hold out to long-off off Vettori and Piyush Chawla was run out without facing a ball.

Vettori finished with 3 for 15 but before he came on to exercise control over the innings, Punjab had made a superb start. There was bounce and movement for the fast bowlers if they hit a good length but Goel and Bopara ensured that they made loose deliveries count. Goel got going with a cut off Nannes through point but his best shots were reserved for Yo Mahesh, whom he pulled twice over the long-on boundary. Bopara also thrived against Sangwan, launching him over midwicket repeatedly. They provided the innings with tremendous momentum but the rest of the batting line-up failed to build on it.

George Binoy is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo