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Jaipur - A brilliant all-round performance by Johan Botha led the Rajasthan Royals to a convincing seven-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians in their IPL match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday.
Botha returned exceptional figures of three for six in two overs as the Mumbai Indians could only score a miserable 93 for eight, and the South African T20 captain then scored a fine 45 off 39 balls as Rajasthan did not rush the run-chase, but still won with 11 balls to spare.
Log-leaders Mumbai will be counting the cost of an awful batting display that caused just their second defeat in seven matches. Rajasthan, meanwhile, have lifted themselves to second in the standings.
There was fine bowling all round by the Royals, with quick bowler Amit Singh excelling with the new ball, young left-arm spinner Ashok Menaria setting the tone up front - he will be delighted with the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar - and Shane Warne, Shane Watson, Siddharth Trivedi and Botha strangling the second half of the innings.
Amit struck the first blow in the fourth over when he bowled Davey Jacobs for 15, the South African's loose drive being nowhere near the ball, and Menaria followed up in the next over with the massive wicket of Tendulkar for just seven.
Tendulkar came down the pitch for a big drive, but was beaten in the flight, a flatter delivery turning past the outside edge for Dishant Yagnik to complete the stumping. It was very much a case of a boy embarrasing his master as Tendulkar had already played 10 tests and just notched his maiden century when Menaria was born 20 years ago!
Menaria (4-0-20-2) then induced a return catch from Ambati Rayudu (11) and Mumbai were really ailing on 50 for four at the halfway mark when Warne had Rohit Sharma caught at long-off for 13.
Big-hitters Andrew Symonds and Kieron Pollard were out-of-sorts and both fell to Botha - Pollard (four off 15) was trapped lbw and Symonds, who top-scored with 17 but needed 26 balls to score them, was bowled after missing an ill-advised sweep shot.
The off-spinner then had Rajagopal Sathish stumped by Yagnik for seven in the 18th over.
Amit bowled Lasith Malinga for a single in the penultimate over to finish with excellent figures of two for 14 in his four overs, while Warne was outstanding for the second game in a row with one for 13.
Rajasthan openers Rahul Dravid and Watson were content to be as cautious as possible as they added 17 in 4.3 overs, before Dravid (5) fell to a fine slower ball from pace bowler Munaf Patel, Tendulkar taking a steepling catch at midwicket.
Mumbai's situation was crying out for more wickets and quickly, but Watson and Botha added a sedate 39 for the second wicket in seven overs to all but settle the outcome.
Both jumped ship shortly before it reached dock, Watson edging a hook at a bouncer from the visitors' banker, Malinga, to be out for 26 off 32 balls, with three fours and a six.
Botha continued to shore up the innings with his outstanding 45 off 39 balls, finally falling in the 18th over with just four runs required.
Munaf got Botha out as well to finish with excellent figures of two for 18 in four overs, but Mumbai were well-beaten by an extremely good Rajasthan performance.
Teams:
Rajasthan Royals: SR Watson, AL Menaria, R Dravid, AM Rahane, A Singh, LRPL Taylor, DH Yagnik (wk), SK Warne (capt), J Botha, STR Binny, SK Trivedi
Mumbai Indians: SR Tendulkar (capt), RG Sharma, AT Rayudu, KA Pollard, DJ Jacobs (wk), A Symonds, R Sathish, Harbhajan Singh, MM Patel, SL Malinga, AG Murtaza
Jaipur - A brilliant all-round performance by Johan Botha led the Rajasthan Royals to a convincing seven-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians in their IPL match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Friday.
Botha returned exceptional figures of three for six in two overs as the Mumbai Indians could only score a miserable 93 for eight, and the South African T20 captain then scored a fine 45 off 39 balls as Rajasthan did not rush the run-chase, but still won with 11 balls to spare.
Log-leaders Mumbai will be counting the cost of an awful batting display that caused just their second defeat in seven matches. Rajasthan, meanwhile, have lifted themselves to second in the standings.
There was fine bowling all round by the Royals, with quick bowler Amit Singh excelling with the new ball, young left-arm spinner Ashok Menaria setting the tone up front - he will be delighted with the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar - and Shane Warne, Shane Watson, Siddharth Trivedi and Botha strangling the second half of the innings.
Amit struck the first blow in the fourth over when he bowled Davey Jacobs for 15, the South African's loose drive being nowhere near the ball, and Menaria followed up in the next over with the massive wicket of Tendulkar for just seven.
Tendulkar came down the pitch for a big drive, but was beaten in the flight, a flatter delivery turning past the outside edge for Dishant Yagnik to complete the stumping. It was very much a case of a boy embarrasing his master as Tendulkar had already played 10 tests and just notched his maiden century when Menaria was born 20 years ago!
Menaria (4-0-20-2) then induced a return catch from Ambati Rayudu (11) and Mumbai were really ailing on 50 for four at the halfway mark when Warne had Rohit Sharma caught at long-off for 13.
Big-hitters Andrew Symonds and Kieron Pollard were out-of-sorts and both fell to Botha - Pollard (four off 15) was trapped lbw and Symonds, who top-scored with 17 but needed 26 balls to score them, was bowled after missing an ill-advised sweep shot.
The off-spinner then had Rajagopal Sathish stumped by Yagnik for seven in the 18th over.
Amit bowled Lasith Malinga for a single in the penultimate over to finish with excellent figures of two for 14 in his four overs, while Warne was outstanding for the second game in a row with one for 13.
Rajasthan openers Rahul Dravid and Watson were content to be as cautious as possible as they added 17 in 4.3 overs, before Dravid (5) fell to a fine slower ball from pace bowler Munaf Patel, Tendulkar taking a steepling catch at midwicket.
Mumbai's situation was crying out for more wickets and quickly, but Watson and Botha added a sedate 39 for the second wicket in seven overs to all but settle the outcome.
Both jumped ship shortly before it reached dock, Watson edging a hook at a bouncer from the visitors' banker, Malinga, to be out for 26 off 32 balls, with three fours and a six.
Botha continued to shore up the innings with his outstanding 45 off 39 balls, finally falling in the 18th over with just four runs required.
Munaf got Botha out as well to finish with excellent figures of two for 18 in four overs, but Mumbai were well-beaten by an extremely good Rajasthan performance.
Teams:
Rajasthan Royals: SR Watson, AL Menaria, R Dravid, AM Rahane, A Singh, LRPL Taylor, DH Yagnik (wk), SK Warne (capt), J Botha, STR Binny, SK Trivedi
Mumbai Indians: SR Tendulkar (capt), RG Sharma, AT Rayudu, KA Pollard, DJ Jacobs (wk), A Symonds, R Sathish, Harbhajan Singh, MM Patel, SL Malinga, AG Murtaza
