Warner's ton puts Delhi on top

Hyderabad - Opener David Warner smashed a century as the Delhi Daredevils climbed back to the top of the Indian Premier League standings with a nine-wicket win over the Deccan Chargers on Thursday.

Warner bludgeoned 109 not out off 54 deliveries with seven sixes and 10 fours. He featured in a 189-run unbroken stand for the second wicket with Naman Ojha (64 not out) to lead Delhi to 193-1 in 16.4 overs after Deccan had scored 187-4 after electing to bat at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium.

Warner hit a variety of strokes in only his second game for Delhi, who are missing Kevin Pietersen with the England batsman having returned home for a series against the West Indies.

Playing pace and spin with ease, the Australia left-hander smashed 20 off an over from pace bowler Ashish Reddy. He registered his second IPL century, after hitting 107 not out against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium in 2010.

"It's a great feeling to be at the top of the points table and credit to the bowlers for the way they've bowled in this tournament," Warner said. "We knew that it (ball) was going to move around, and we tried to take that away from them by going after the bowling very early."

Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan (84) and Cameron White (65) boosted Deccan's innings.

Dhawan clobbered five sixes and nine fours during his 49-ball knock, which included two consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.

Dhawan added 126 for the third wicket with White but was run out to a direct throw by Nadeem from the square-leg boundary when he take two runs.

White, who smashed two sixes and seven fours off 40 deliveries, followed a little later when he skied a lofted shot and wicketkeeper Naman Ojha took a fine catch running toward square-leg.

Delhi have nine wins and three losses from 12 games. Kolkata are second with eight wins, three losses and a no-result from 12 outings.

Deccan, in contrast, are last in the nine-team league with two wins, 10 losses and one no-result from 13 to be out of the playoff reckoning.

Scores:

Delhi Daredevils 193-1 in 16.4 overs (David Warner 109 not out, Naman Ojha 64 not out) def. Deccan Chargers 187-4 (Shikhar Dhawan 84, Cameron White 65, Varun Aaron 2-30).