wow, that is pure power from Watson, Smith drops it short and it spins away, Watson doesn't care as he murders it past long-on for four to bring up the win, Watson has made 90 out of 126 here
Warriors vs RR, 52nd match at Pune, IPL, May 08 2012 - Match Result
RR won by 7 wickets (with 22 balls remaining)
A huge win for Rajasthan, the second bin victory in a row and that will boost their net run-rate. They have now jumped into the top four (latest points table), and their next game is Chennai, who are currently in fifth.
Tait was outstanding with the ball, Watson was outstanding with the bat, and Steve Smith provided some highlights in the field. The only other bright spot for Pune was their new batsman Majumdar striking a few sixes.
Pune are definitely out of the race now, they can only reach 14 points even if they win all their remaining matches.
Mangesh and others:"Watson has struck exactly twice as many boundaries as whole of the Pune team managed to. Quite brilliant batting that!"
Sharma: "Yet another all-Australian show. Why don't they just rename the league "Where Australians come to warm up for the T20 World Cup"?"
Will bring you the presentation ceremony as and when they broadcast it, as of now they have switched to the second game. Join the conversation for Deccan v Punjab here.
Presentation ceremony:
Ganguly: "We had to get Watson out early to get in the game, unfortunately we couldn't. We are out of the play-offs, that the fact, we have to play well in the remaining three."
Dravid: "Happy about winning, and the way we are playing, I thought the bowlers really delivered for us, as clinical as it gets, not an easy wicket to bat on but Watson had the power and technique to hit it. I've been telling the team to not look at the points table, and look to play good cricket."
Watson is the Man of the Match. "The wicket was a bit slow, I suppose it was my night tonight. I just back myself, I have a clear mind and try to hit straight. Initially, I was thinking of getting ahead of the rate so that it would get easy in the middle of the innings. My first game I was a bit rusty after Test cricket, but it was better after a couple of practice sessions."
Here's the match report for the game.
Shah clips it to midwicket for a single
Smith's first spell of the season
Timeout
Freddy: "I wonder what could possibly be discussed on this time-out." Perhaps Smith has informed Ganguly than he can bowl as well.
clipped to midwicket by Shah for a single
a shortish ball is slammed towards midwicket, reaches the fielder on the bounce
poor delivery down the leg side, easily put away to the fine leg boundary
pitched up and well outside off, a little turn for Clarke, Watson was looking to go over extra cover but gets it towards deep backward square leg
follows the batsman down the leg side, tucked towards midwicket
defended off the front foot
short and outside off, sits up for Watson, who smashes it wide of sweeper cover for four more, how would this match have played out if that smith catch had been ruled out? No one else looking comfortable on this track
again Shah using a tactic he has employed a lot, jumping beyond the leg stump and drives it through the off side
full again and on legstump as Shah skipped away from the stumps, driven towards mid-off
flighted and full, outside off, squeezed towards point, 'no run there,' shouts the keeper
Owais Shah and Watson, what are the odds of a run-out here?
pitched up and driven towards long-off for a single
pulled towards midwicket for a single
a flighted delivery is defended
Clarke gets a wicket as he so often does, Menaria looks to hammer this over midwicket but can't get the power behind it and it is falls to the waiting Manhas, too little for Pune though, surely
defended to the leg side this time
defends this off the front foot
full ball on the pads, whipped towards deep midwicket
Michael Clarke is on now
Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, Pune | |
Toss | Pune Warriors, elected to bat first |
Series | |
Season | 2012 |
Player Of The Match | |
Hours of play (local time) | 16.00 start, First Session 16.00-17.25, Interval 17.25-17.45, Second Session 17.45-19.10 |
Match days | 8 May 2012 - daynight (20-over match) |
Umpires | |
TV Umpire | |
Reserve Umpire | |
Match Referee | |
Points | Rajasthan Royals 2, Pune Warriors 0 |
Over 17 • RR 126/3
RR won by 7 wickets (with 22 balls remaining)