MUMBAI: Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Daredevils last night by 14 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for sixth straight victory.
Asked to bat first, Mumbai posted 142 for eight and then produced a superb bowling performance to restrict Delhi to 128 for seven despite a tough challenge from the South African duo of Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris.
Coming together when Delhi was reeling at 24 for six, the two added 91 runs between them.
Rabada scored 44 of 39 balls before being bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. The South African hit four boundaries and a six. Morris was the highest scorer among the Delhi batsmen, remaining unbeaten on 52 of 41 balls, hitting five boundaries and a six.
Pacer Mitchell McClenaghan was the most successful among the Mumbai bowlers with figures of three for 24. Young pacer Bumrah returned with two for 21 while Hardik Pandya notched up figures of one for 23.
Earlier, Delhi rode on an excellent bowling effort to restrict Mumbai to 142 for eight.
Electing to bowl, they banked on their strong pace battery of Rabada, Morris, Pat Cummins, leg spinner Amit Mishra and an electric fielding effort from Samson to remove the top four - Patel (8), Jos Buttler (28), Nitish Rana (8) and skipper Sharma (5) cheaply.
Patel and Buttler started well by raising a 37-run partnership before South African pace sensation Rabada broke through the defence of the Gujarat southpaw, crashing his leg-stump with a yorker at 145 kms per hour.
Buttler, who dispatched Morris for a consecutive six and four, was dropped on 11 the next ball by wicketkeeper Pant.
The Englishman, however, failed to seize the advantage, getting out after facing 18 balls and hitting three boundaries and two sixes, when he was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Samson.
Before Mumbai could do much to recover from the early jolts, leg spinner Mishra struck with the wicket of Rohit Sharma, whose poor run with the willow continued to haunt the Mumbai Indians.
TODAY’S MATCHES: Gujarat Lions vs Kings XI Punjab (Starting 1.30pm). Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (5.30pm).