IPL 2016: David Warner hits 92 as RCB lose another to Sunrisers
Warner is the leading run-scorer in the 2016 IPL
Monday 2 May 2016 12:23, UK
Sunrisers Hyderabad consigned star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore to a fourth IPL defeat in six, beating them by 15 runs.
David Warner continued his fine form, smashing 92 from 50 balls to become the leading run-scorer for the tournament as Sunrisers posted 194-5.
He put on 124 for the second wicket with Kane Williamson (50 off 38 balls), who hit fifty in his first game of 2016, in place of Eoin Morgan.
Looking set for a score of 200 plus, Warner fell and Sunrisers suddenly stuttered, losing three wickets for nine runs, but Moises Henriques smashed three sixes in an unbeaten 14-ball 31 to fire them back up towards that target.
Virat Kohli could manage only 14 in reply, though opening partner Lokesh Rahul smacked 51 off 28 balls to get RCB off to a strong start.
AB de Villiers (47 off 32) - dropped twice, on three and 17 - briefly threatened but Bangalore ultimately fell short.
RCB bowled first for the first time in the tournament after winning the toss, and although Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed for a run-a-ball 11 in the fourth over, Warner got off to a great start.
The Sunrisers skipper smashed his first of his five sixes off a Harshal Patel free-hit in the sixth over, and struck two fours in the same over, all in a four-ball spell.
His fifty came up off 32 balls in the 10th over, while Williamson was slightly more sedate in taking 37 deliveries to reach his half century.
Williamson fell a ball later, an over after Warner's wicket, as the Sunrisers innings suddenly stuttered.
Kane Richardson (2-45) added the wicket of Ojha cheaply, but then Henriques cracked his fellow Australian for two sixes later in the over, following on from Warner smashing him for 19 in his previous effort.
Attention turned to Kohli as RCB set about their 195-run target, but it was Rahul who fired, crunching three fours in the first two overs, while Kohli used up 17 balls before falling to Mustafizur Rahman (1-34).
With one danger-man departed, Sunrisers should have added the prized scalp of De Villiers but Ashish Nehra first dropped a sitter at long leg off Barinder Sran, and then Deepak Hooda to a tougher chance at cover off the same bowler.
A ball before Hooda's drop, Henriques accounted for Rahul, and Shane Watson was run out for two to keep Sunrisers on top.
But just as that dominance was questioned when De Villiers smacked Henriques for back-to-back sixes in an over that cost 19, he fell soon after, Sran (1-36) finally rewarded with his wicket.
Sachin Baby (27 off 16) and Kedar Jadhav (25no 15) contributed hand lower-order cameos but Bangalore never really recovered, and fell to another defeat.
