RCB starts off with a win over Daredevils

Royal Challengers starts with a win

RCB starts off with a win over Daredevils

Royal Challengers Bangalore were without their talisman Chris Gayle, who had an injured groin, but four other overseas players performed roles expected of them to give the campaign a successful start in front of a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium. AB de Villiers prevented Royal Challengers from finishing on a below-par score with a well paced half-century that contained a mix of the orthodox and the unconventional, while Muttiah Muralitharan, in his first game in these colours, confounded Delhi Daredevils' batsmen during an incisive, economical and match-turning spell.

Delhi Daredevils' major Indian stars also failed, with Irfan Pathan leaking 47 runs in a wicketless spell and Virender Sehwag making a duck in the chase. The visitors were competitive due to Doug Bracewell's performance with the ball and in the field, Morne Morkel's pace and bounce, and a cameo from Naman Ojha. That collective effort, however, was no match for the wealth of talent and experience of Royal Challengers' overseas performers.

Score Card - 5th Match Royal Challengers Bangalore v/s Delhi Daredevils

RCB (Batting)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
AB McDonald	c Bracewell b Morkel	30	19	4	2	157.89
C Pujara	c Pathan b Morkel	11	12	1	0	91.66
V Kohli	c Nagar b Bracewell	8	8	1	0	100
AB de Villiers	not out	64	42	6	2	152.38
S Tiwary	lbw b Maxwell	1	3	0	0	33.33
M Agarwal	c Nagar b Nadeem	16	15	1	1	106.66
D Vettori	run out (Bracewell/Maxwell)	3	4	0	0	75
Vinay Kumar	c Morkel b Bracewell	18	16	1	0	112.5
H Patel	b Bracewell	0	1	0	0	0
Extras	lb 4, w 2	6
Total	(8 wickets; 20 overs)	157	(7.85 runs per over)
	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	I Pathan	4	0	47	0	11.75
	D Bracewell	4	0	32	3	8
	M Morkel	4	0	30	2	7.5
	U Yadav	2	0	8	0	4
	S Nadeem	4	0	26	1	6.5
	G Maxwell	2	0	10	1	5
Delhi Daredevils (Batting)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
A Finch	lbw b Muralitharan	25	24	3	0	104.16
V Sehwag	c Pujara b Khan	0	1	0	0	0
N Ojha	c Kohli b Muralitharan	33	26	4	1	126.92
V Rao	c Agarwal b McDonald	18	23	1	0	78.26
G Maxwell	c Khan b Muralitharan	3	4	0	0	75
Y Nagar	c Patel b Vettori	16	15	2	0	106.66
I Pathan	run out (Patel/de Villiers)	24	15	2	1	160
D Bracewell	not out	12	9	1	0	133.33
M Morkel	not out	2	3	0	0	66.66
Extras	(lb 2, w 2)	4
Total	(7 wickets; 20 overs)	137	(6.85 runs per over)
	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Z Khan	4	0	36	1	9
	R Vinay Kumar	4	0	25	0	6.25
	AB McDonald	2	0	11	1	5.5
	D Vettori	4	0	28	1	7
	Muralitharan	4	0	25	3	6.25
	H Patel	2	0	10	0	5

One of the reverse shot, AB played today.

AB began to turn it on for RCB with glances and sweeps to the fine-leg boundary with audacious reverse-hits to third man. He hit Irfan for two such boundaries, getting into position early and reverse-swatting full tosses, one over the rope and the other short of it. De Villiers crashed another straight drive past the bowler, Bracewell, in the final over but could not get on strike for the final three deliveries, and so Royal Challengers could not get past 160. Bracewell finished the innings clinically for Daredevils, taking wickets with the final two balls to end on 3 for 32.

Daniel Vettori and Murali bowled in tandem, and peg Daredevils back. Finch was dropped at short third man in Vettori's first over, and Ojha by wicketkeeper de Villiers off Murali's first ball. Two balls later, however, Murali had Ojha edging to slip. And in his next over, he had Finch lbw, reducing Daredevils to 68 for 3 after ten overs. Vettori and Murali were so effective that, after scoring 12 runs off his first three balls.

Man of the match in the 5th Match - AB devilliers for his much needed knock of 64 for royals.