New Delhi, May 15: Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene hit a calculated unbeaten half-century as Delhi Daredevils thrashed Kings XI Punjab by five wickets to qualify for the knockout stage of the Indian Premier League, here today.
Courtesy Jayawardene's unbeaten 56 off 49 balls, Daredevils managed to reach the target of 137 with an over to spare as they consolidated their position at the top of the table with 20 points and two matches left.
Delhi pace duo of Umesh Yadav (3/21) and Varun Aaron (2/19) had shared five wickets between to restrict Kings XI Punjab to manageable 136 for eight.
Barring skipper David Hussey (40 not out), it was a combination of poor shot selection and some disciplined effort by the hosts that enabled them to keep the score under check.
Jayawardene played authentic cricketing shots like cover drives, late cut, pull-shots and was well supported by Naman Ojha (34) and Irfan Pathan (19) after Parvinder Awana's hostile first spell had reduced Delhi to 37 for four.
However, it was the 18th over from Awana where Pathan hit three boundaries to seal the issue. But it wouldn't have been possible without Jayawardene who showed that matches can be won playing proper cricket shots.
This was after the Daredevils top-order failed once again as both Virender Sehwag (9) and David Warner (14) promised a lot of fireworks as 21 runs came off the first two overs.
Then Warner played a rank bad shot to be caught at gully by Azhar Mahmood off Praveen Kumar's bowling.
Sehwag, who was dropped by Davis Hussey at mid-on off Praveen's bowling however was gone in the very next over bowled by Parvinder Awana.
Awana, who bowled one of the best first spells of this edition with figures of 3-0-7-3 ran through the top-order. He bowled a fast and fuller delivery to Sehwag which hit his pads then clipped the off-bails.
Venugopal Rao (7) played away from his body to be caught behind while Ross Taylor (0) got a beauty that pitched on the middle-stump and moved a shade and was declared caught behind. At 37 for four, Jayawardene and Ojha (34) joined hands resurrect the innings.
