END OF OVER:20 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | LIONS: 153/9 (31 runs required, RR: 7.65)
- Aaron Phangiso4 (6b)
- Lonwabo Tsotsobe0 (0b)
- James Faulkner4-0-22-2
- Kevon Cooper4-0-39-0
Another win for Rajasthan Royals at home, they seem unbeatable here. Their middle order setup a big chase for the Lions who succumbed under pressure after Vikramjeet Malik troubled the top order with two wickets and Pravin Tambe virtually ended the chase with four wickets, he conceded only 15 runs from his three overs. Captain Alviro Petersen tried to keep them in the hunt with a 40 but ran out of partners and Royals are back on the top of the table. That's all from us for today, only one match tomorrow - between two Indian sides, CSK and Sunrisers. Make sure you tune in and send us your comments. I'm Vishal Dikshit signing off along with our scorer Gopi Rangarajan. Goodbye!
Alviro Petersen : To be honest we are normally good at the death but Rajasthan Royals played brilliantly at the death. Looking back we wonder where we could've got the extra runs. I was fancying chasing around 160 and to a degree we were close but never got hold of the chase. We need to bounce back, two games to win from now. We have to move forward as a team and want to be the best franchise in South Africa.
Brad Hodge: I was excited for PT [Pravin Tambe], he bowled well there. We are working to play according to the conditions and the pitch was a bit dry so I'm glad the move of playing Tambe paid off. Experience is very important in a team, few guys have that role in IPL and that's mine in Rajasthan Royals. I just try to send the ball out of the fence, pretty simply game plan for me. Sohail Tanvir has a strange action which is hard to pick when you haven't played him before, he's got the yorker, the slower ball, bouncer. We try to be a step ahead when we face him and hope it can pay off.
Time for the presentation:
Rahul Dravid: It was terrific, our middle order of Watson, Binny and Hodge got us to a big score and the others in the field put up a great performance. What a story for Tambe, I feel happy for him. He's spent so much time in all the leagues and clubs, the Kangana league, you gotta feel for him. I thought I'll try and bring him on when a wicket falls, the ball was swinging a bit initially. He took a wicket in the first over and two more in the next, it was sensational. Hodgey is one of the best players in the death. He has the ability to play against top-quality bowlers, Tanvir is a good bowler and Hodgey took him apart. He takes on that role beautifully.
Pravin Tambe is Man of the Match: I enjoyed a lot today, I bowled well. I was knowing my role when i was picked today, I knew where to bowl when I got the chance and I wanted to prove that today. I was practising form the last two days, my team-mates told me to hold the line, i was working hard in the nets. I enjoy bowling to left-handers. When the ball is skidding I can adjust and when it's turning I enjoy it too.
D Pretorius c Hodge b Faulkner 19 (18m 14b 1x4 1x6) SR: 135.71
END OF OVER:19 | 10 Runs | LIONS: 149/8 (35 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 7.84, RRR: 35.00)
- Dwaine Pretorius17 (10b)
- Aaron Phangiso2 (4b)
- Kevon Cooper4-0-39-0
- James Faulkner3-0-18-1
45 required from two overs
END OF OVER:18 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | LIONS: 139/8 (45 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 7.72, RRR: 22.50)
- Dwaine Pretorius8 (6b)
- Aaron Phangiso1 (2b)
- James Faulkner3-0-18-1
- Shane Watson4-0-27-1
Aaron Phangiso is in
TL Tsolekile b Faulkner 21 (14m 14b 2x4 0x6) SR: 150.00
James Faulkner to bowl now
END OF OVER:17 | 11 Runs | LIONS: 135/7 (49 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.94, RRR: 16.33)
- Dwaine Pretorius7 (5b)
- Thami Tsolekile19 (11b)
- Shane Watson4-0-27-1
- Pravin Tambe3-0-15-4
Ajay: "Good move by RD to bring a leg spinner up against a SA team. #feeling nostalgic"