Hyderabad: Tearaway pacer Dale Steyn grabbed three wickets in a sensational over as Sunrisers Hyderabad spanked Pune Warriors by 22 runs in a low-scoring Pepsi IPL match here on Friday.
Playing in their first match of the IPL under a new name, the Sunrisers defended a small total of 126 for six with their bowlers producing a disciplined show to bundle out the Warriors for 104 in 18.5 overs at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
Steyn dismissed tailenders Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3), Rahul Sharma (0) and Ashok Dinda (0) in the space of four balls in the 19th over to end the Warriors’ innings. The South African fast bowler conceded just 11 runs in his 3.5 overs.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra also claimed three wickets for 19 runs from his four overs while Thisara Perera took two for 29 runs.
The Warriors batsmen fell in quick succession after their openers Robin Uthappa (24) and Manish Pandey (15) raised 36 runs from 41 balls. From 36 for one in the seventh over, they were reduced to 50 for four in the 12th over and they lost the plot from there.
Uthappa’s was the highest score for Warriors while Yuvraj Singh could contribute just two runs.
Chasing a small target, the Warriors were 18 for no loss at the end of the fifth over before Uthappa decided to take on the Sunrisers bowlers. He first hit Ishant for a six in sixth over before clobbering Perera for three fours on the trot in the next over.
But the Sri Lankan bowler had the last laugh as he had the batsman in the penultimate ball of the same over to reduce the Warriors to 36 for one in the seventh over. Two overs later, Perera scalped his second wicket in the form of Marlon Samuels (5). The Warriors were dealt a severe blow as they lost the wicket of Yuvraj eight balls later of the bowling of Amit Mishra. When Yuvraj left, the Warriors were 47 for three in the 10th over, needing 80 runs from the 10 overs remaining.
As if competing to return to the dressing room, Pandey fell two overs later.
Abhishek Nayar (19) perished in the 16th over while trying to accelerate the chase and New Zealander Ross Taylor (19) followed him at the dressing room in the next over. Mitchell Marsh was out five balls after Taylor and it was all over for the Warriors.