Delhi finally dare at home

After putting up a formidable 190/4 at the end of the allotted 20 overs, Delhi spinners Amit Mishra (2/32) and Imran Tahir (3/22) quashed all hopes Mumbai were nursing of surpassing the target. Mumbai  were eventually restricted to 153/9, thus falling short by 37 runs. Skipper Rohit Sharma (30) and Ambati Rayudu (30) were the main scorers for the losing side.

Earlier, riding on a rollicking 154-run partnership between Shreyas Iyer and skipper Jean-Paul Duminy, Delhi Daredevils posted an imposing 190 for four against Mumbai Indians in the IPL-8 on Thursday.

Put into bat, the hosts overcame an early blow to see big fifties from Iyer (83) and Duminy (78 not out) and put on board the highest total of this season so far.

New Zealand left-arm pacer Mitchell McClenaghan (2/38) struck in the very first over to send Mayank Agarwal back. The opener pulled a shortish delivery only to be holed out at short mid-wicket, where Ambati Rayudu took the catch. But after that it was an all DD show with Iyer and Duminy entertaining a good weekday crowd in a bid to end the team?s 9-match losing streak at home. Mumbai-born Iyer, who hit 7 fours and 5 sixes in his 56-ball stay, and Duminy, whose 50-ball knock was laced with 3 fours and 6 sixes, mixed with the right dose of caution and aggression, to take the attack to the opposition.

Iyer, who hit his second fifty of the season, was severe on medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah (1-55), hitting the medium-pacer for a six and two fours to help DD get 16 runs off the 11th over. Seeing his partner in top form, Duminy also changed gears as the South African hit Kieron Pollard for a four and 2 sixes in the very next over to fetch his team 20 runs.

The duo continued its onslaught after the second time out post the 13th over as the 20-year-old Iyer smashed Harbhajan Singh (0-34) for two sixes and Duminy also brought up his second fifty of the season in the off-spinners final over that went for 18 runs.

Getting a little over-ambitious, Iyer was finally cleaned up by Lasith Malinga (1-23), in the 17th over, as the right-hander shuffled across to attempt a lap-scoop and the Yorker just sneaked in. New-man Angelo Mathews (17) never allowed the run-rate to slip as the Sri Lankan kept hitting the boundaries ? 3 in his 8-ball cameo. But attempting a pull against McClenaghan, Mathews got a thin edge and the gentleman cricketer walked back without a fuss.

Guilty of giving away too many runs in his quota of overs, Bumrah did get a consolation wicket of Yuvraj Singh (2) in the final over of the innings. The final six deliveries fetched only 10 runs for the home team as Duminy carried his bat through.

BRIEFSCORES Delhi Daredevils 190/4 in 20 overs (SS Iyer 83, JP Duminy 78*, MJ McClenaghan 2/38) beat Mumbai Indians 153/9 (Rohit Sharma 30, Amit Mishra 2/32, Imran Tahir 3/22) by 37 runs.