IPL 5: Delhi beat Punjab to seal playoff berth

Mahela Jayawardene's scored a match-winning 56 to help Delhi Daredevils beat Kings XI Punjab in the 64th match of the Indian Premier League at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. Delhi managed to reach the target with an over to spare as they consolidated their position at the top of the table with 20 points and become the first team to seal the playoff berth.

Parvinder Awana (3 for 22) was exceptional with the ball for visitors, especially early on, when they had slumped to 37 for 4, but Naman Ojha (34 off 29) and Irfan Pathan (19 off 10) provided enough support to help Jayawardene confirm Delhi's place in the last four.

This was after the DD 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 but Praveen Kumar gave Punjab early breakthrough in the third over when he dismissed David Warner (14). But Praveen Kumar gave Punjab breakthrough in the third over when he dismissed David Warner.

Soon Awana also struck with the very first ball to dismiss Sehwag in the fourth over as the hosts were reduced to 28 for 2. Then Awana struck twice in the sixth over to dismiss Ross Taylor (0) and Venugopal Rao (7). Awana's effort rocked Delhi run chase. But the gritty Sri Lankan batsman consolidated Delhi's innings as he added 58 runs for the fifth wicket with Naman Ojha (34).

Piyush Chawla dismissed Naman Ojha in the the fourteenth over to reduce Delhi to 95 for 5. But Jayawardene and Pathan added 45 runs for the sixth wicket to help the home team clinch a superb victory.

Earlier, Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron produced a fantastic bowling effort for Delhi as they restricted Punjab to a modest 138 for 8. Yadav (3 for 21) and Aaron (2 for 19) shared five wickets between them, while the fielders took some sharp catches as well as inflicting two run-outs.

Punjab's skipper David Hussey top-scored for the visitors with an unbeaten 40 off 35 balls, but he lacked any real support from his teammates. There were no significant partnership as Hussey was the only batsmen trying to take the attack back to the opposition.

Opting to bat first, Punjab were dealt an early blow after Shaun Marsh fell in the fourth over for 13. He tried to flick Aaron on the leg side and instead sent a fine edge to wicketkeeper Naman Ojha. Mandeep Singh (21) hit a few streaky boundaries but he soon fell to Aaron as he was smartly caught by Sehwag.

Punjab were then dealt another blow as Nitin Saini (15) took a long walk back to the pavilion as he edged a ball that moved away from Yadav to Sehwag at first slip. Punjab were struggling at 54 for 3 at this stage. David Miller (4) was then run out by a Pawan Negi direct hit to leave Punjab on 63 for 4 at the halfway stage.

Hussey and Azhar Mahmood (9) tried to do a repair job, but all went in vain as Umesh send back Mahmood courtesy of a stunning catch at wide long-off by Irfan Pathan. Last match's hero Gurkeerat Singh Ahluwalia (8) hit two boundaries but then a classical left-arm spinner's delivery from Negi got better of him. Piyush Chawla (10) helped the Kings past 100 in a 29-run stand with Hussey, but after he fell, the visitors battled and eventually set 139 for victory.

IPL 5: Warner ton buries Deccan Chargers

Hyderabad: David Warner scored a brilliant ton and was involved in a record second wicket stand for Delhi Daredevils (189 off 100) to smash the Deccan Chargers all over the park as Delhi chased down Deccan's total in 16.4 overs. Naman Ojha also found his form back as he smashed the first half-century of the season.

Chasing 188-run target, Delhi got off to a worst possible start as they lost Virender Sehwag in the very first over with just four on the board. Warner and Ojha then took the attack to the opposition. Warner powered Delhi past 100 in just nine overs to set the tone. Warner, who smashed seven fours and three sixes in his quick-fire fifty, added unbeaten 100 runs stand with Naman Ojha in just 55 balls to put Delhi on top. The duo then went on to add a record 189 runs for the second wicket.

Warner lathered as many as seven sixes and ten boundaries to remain unbeaten on 109, which came from just 54 balls. Ojha, who had mixed success with the bat this IPL season, chipped in with a fluent 64 off 46 balls, which included five sixes and two boundaries.

Earlier, Cameron White and Shikhar Dhawan each hammered a brisk half-century to take the Deccan Chargers to a formidable total of 187 for 4. Dhawan scorched to 84 off 49 balls with his dashing innings that included nine boundaries and five sixes while White was equally as effective as he bludgeoned his way to 65 off 40 deliveries as the pair put on 126 runs for the third wicket off just 11.4 overs.

Opting to bat first, Dhawan and Daniel Harris (19) gave Deccan a soldi start as the duo dealt in fours right from the beginning but soon Deccan were reeling at 33 for 2. Morne Morkel made the initial breakthrough when he had Daniel Harris caught as mid-off. First down Kumar Sangakkara was also back into the hut quickly after his miscued pull off Varon Aaron ended up in the safe hands of Shahbaz Nadeem at short mid-wicket.

Then, Dhawan and White then joined hands and brought up the fifty in eight overs. Dhawan notched up 37-ball fifty to lead Deccan innings that was studded with four fours and four sixes. It was raining boundaries as Dhawan and White hammered boundaries all over the park which suddenly turned the momentum in Deccan way. Duo took DC past 100 runs in 13 overs with their powerful batting display.

The 26-year-old Dhawan's fine innings was finally ended when he was run out at the keeper's end attempting a second run thanks to a superb direct hit from Shabaz Nadeem at fine-leg. White continued on his merry way and reached his half-century off 33 balls but was dismissed in the final over. JP Duminy ended the innings with a flourish as he ended not out on 13 off nine balls.