By IANS
Panchkula (Haryana) : Delhi Giants scored a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Ahmedabad Rockets at a league match of the Edelweiss 20s Challenge of the Indian Cricket League at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here Sunday.
Electing to bat, Rockets drew first blood in the second over as T. Sudhindra (1 for 13) castled through Sachin Dholpure’s defence.
In the very next over, some sloppy running between the wickets led to the downfall of the other opener Wavell Hinds leaving Rockets reeling at 7 for two.
Rockets captain Damien Martyn (44) and pinch hitter Rakesh Patel tried to repair the early setbacks, but Patel fell and Rockets were left tottering at 24 for four after seven overs. Runs dried down for Rockets’ batsmen as both Sridharan Sriram (32) and Martyn scored in singles.
Sriram and Martyn managed to resurrect the Rockets innings with their half-century partnership. However, the lower middle-order batsmen could not accelerate in the final stages of the innings and ended at 107 for six.
Giants opening duo of Mohnish Mishra and Avishka Gunawardene (55) started their innings at a cautious note.
Gunawardene stepped up the gear in the sixth over and struck Patel for two huge sixes followed by an inside edge boundary.
In search of a desperate breakthrough, Martyn brought on his young off-spinner P. Bhima Rao in the ninth over but it had no effect on Gunawardene’s attacking ploy.
In the 10th over, Sriram got the Rockets their first breakthrough snaring Mishra for a well-made 18. The Giants’ score read 66 for one.
Abhinav Bali (34) then matched Gunawardene stroke for stroke, taking the Giants to home in the 16th over.
Gunawardene was declared man of the match for his explosive half-century.
Brief Scores: Ahmedabad Rockets 107/6 (D. Martyn 44, S Sriram 32, T Sudhindra 1/13), Delhi Giants 111/1 in 15.3 overs (A Gunawardene 55, A Bali 34, S Sriram 1/10)