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New Delhi - Seamers Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav bowled a superb final two overs to guide the Delhi Daredevils to a thrilling one-run victory over the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.
Ajinkya Rahana smashed an unbeaten 84 off 63 balls but with two runs needed off the last ball he missed Yadav's delivery as Owais Shah was run out and Rajasthan ended up at 151-3.
Morkel brought the Daredevils back into the hunt when the Royals needed 15 off the last 12 balls. He conceded only three runs in the 19th over and also got rid of dangerman Brad Hodge.
The Daredevils made 152-6 with captain Virender Sehwag scoring his fourth successive half century before being dismissed for 63 off 39 balls.
Rahana sliced Yadav over point boundary for a six in the last over and brought down the target to two off the last ball before missing the last delivery.
Royals captain Rahul Dravid (40) and Rahana had all but sealed the game when they put on 99 runs for the opening stand in 70 balls. Hodge also made a quick 22 off 18 deliveries before Morkel, who is now the leading wicket-taker in IPL with 18, bowled a pin-point accurate over.
Earlier, the Daredevils lost their way after Sehwag was brilliantly caught in the deep by Ashok Menaria before Yogesh Nagar (27) and Irfan Pathan collected 20 runs in seamer Amit Singh's last over of the innings that lifted the home team's score.
The Daredevils are on top with 14 points after winning seven of their nine matches, while the Royals are fifth with eight points.
Scores:
Delhi Daredevils 152-6 in 20 overs (Virender Sehwag 63, Yogesh Nagar 27, Ross Taylor 25; Pankaj Singh 2-25, Amit Singh 2-41) def. Rajasthan Royals 151-3 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahana 84 not out, Rahul Dravid 40, Brad Hodge 22; Morne Morkel 1-26, Irfan Pathan 1-27).
