Finch leads Sunrisers to first win

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0-40) needed to defend 20 runs from the final six deliveries but conceded 15 nervous runs as JP Duminy (20 not out) smashed the second last ball for six to set up a tense final delivery, but Kumar held his nerve and delivered a Yorker which Duminy could only punch down the ground for two. The Daredevils replied with 180 for the loss of four wickets after the Sunrisers had posted 184 for one after winning the toss and electing to bat first. The Daredevils’ chase began well with Murali Vijay and Quinton de Kock posting 99 for the first wicket before the young South African opener was caught by Aaron Finch on the boundary off the leg spin off Karn Sharma (1-23). De Kock faced 30 deliveries for his 48 which included six boundaries and one maximum. Vijay fell in the next over, caught by Dale Steyn at long on off the bowling of Darren Sammy (1-34) as the Daredevils’ innings lost impetus. This video is not available in your region Vijay had been slightly more circumspect than his young, inexperienced partner as he struck seven boundaries and a six in a 40-ball knock of 52. Kevin Pietersen, on his return to the side after injuring his hand, could only manage 16 from 17 balls while Dinesh Karthik scored 15 from 14 balls before Steyn returned to the attack for what would be a defining over. With the Daredevils requiring 56 runs from 24 balls, Steyn (2-33) removed both Pietersen, caught by Sammy in the deep, and Karthik, caught at deep midwicket by Lokesh Rahul off consecutive balls to leave Delhi on 135 for four and two new batsmen at the crease. But Manoj Tiwary (23 not out) and Duminy scored 45 runs off only 20 balls to setup a tense finale. Duminy has been in such prolific form that the South African middle-order batsman required just seven deliveries for his unbeaten 20 in which he struck one four and two sixes. The Sunrisers’ total was built around an unbeaten second-wicket partnership of 128 between Finch and David Warner. The pair came together in the seventh over after their captain, Shikhar Dhawan (33), had posted 56 with Finch for the first wicket. Warner, who had been dropped on nought by Kathik off the leg spin of Shahbaz Nadeem (1-24), cracked three fours and three sixes in a 45-ball knock of 58. Finch, who took 37 balls to reach his half-century, turned on the after burners as the Australian struck eight boundaries and four maximums in his unbeaten 88 off only 53 balls. The pair took 48 balls to bring up their 50-run partnership but only needed 22 balls to bring up the century stand. Nadeem was the only Delhi bowler to find success with the ball as he had Dhawan caught by Pietersen on the leg side after the left-handed batsman top-edged an innocuous delivery. The win moves Hyderabad off the foot of the table and above the Daredevils on net run-rate, as both teams have two points, but the Sunrisers have a game in hand over Delhi.