Warriors vs RR, 52nd match at Pune, IPL, May 08 2012 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
52nd match (D/N), Pune, May 08, 2012, Indian Premier League
(16.2/20 ov, T:126) 126/3

RR won by 7 wickets (with 22 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
90* (51)
shane-watson
Cricinfo's MVP
121.57 ptsImpact List
shane-watson
New
RR
Full commentary

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.

16.2
4
Smith to Watson, FOUR runs

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

16.1
1
Smith to Shah, 1 run

Shah clips it to midwicket for a single

Smith's first spell of the season

end of over 169 runs
RR: 121/3CRR: 7.56 RRR: 1.25
Owais Shah3 (6b)
Shane Watson86 (50b 9x4 4x6)
Michael Clarke 2-0-12-1
Murali Kartik 3-0-32-0

Timeout

Freddy: "I wonder what could possibly be discussed on this time-out." Perhaps Smith has informed Ganguly than he can bowl as well.

15.6
1
Clarke to Shah, 1 run

clipped to midwicket by Shah for a single

15.5
1
Clarke to Watson, 1 run

a shortish ball is slammed towards midwicket, reaches the fielder on the bounce

15.4
4
Clarke to Watson, FOUR runs

poor delivery down the leg side, easily put away to the fine leg boundary

15.3
2
Clarke to Watson, 2 runs

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

15.2
1
Clarke to Shah, 1 run

follows the batsman down the leg side, tucked towards midwicket

15.1
Clarke to Shah, no run

defended off the front foot

end of over 156 runs
RR: 112/3CRR: 7.46 RRR: 2.80
Shane Watson79 (47b 8x4 4x6)
Owais Shah1 (3b)
Murali Kartik 3-0-32-0
Michael Clarke 1-0-3-1
14.6
4
Kartik to Watson, FOUR runs

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

14.5
1
Kartik to Shah, 1 run

again Shah using a tactic he has employed a lot, jumping beyond the leg stump and drives it through the off side

14.4
Kartik to Shah, no run

full again and on legstump as Shah skipped away from the stumps, driven towards mid-off

14.3
Kartik to Shah, no run

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?

14.2
1
Kartik to Watson, 1 run

pitched up and driven towards long-off for a single

14.1
Kartik to Watson, no run
end of over 143 runs • 1 wicket
RR: 106/3CRR: 7.57 RRR: 3.33
Shane Watson74 (44b 7x4 4x6)
Owais Shah0 (0b)
Michael Clarke 1-0-3-1
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-0-17-1
13.6
1
Clarke to Watson, 1 run

pulled towards midwicket for a single

13.5
Clarke to Watson, no run

a flighted delivery is defended

13.4
W
Clarke to Menaria, OUT

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

Ashok Menaria c Manhas b Clarke 18 (21b 1x4 0x6 36m) SR: 85.71
13.3
1
Clarke to Watson, 1 run

defended to the leg side this time

13.2
Clarke to Watson, no run

defends this off the front foot

13.1
1
Clarke to Menaria, 1 run

full ball on the pads, whipped towards deep midwicket

Michael Clarke is on now

Win Probability
RR 100%
PWIRR
100%50%100%PWI InningsRR Innings

Over 17 • RR 126/3

RR won by 7 wickets (with 22 balls remaining)
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Indian Premier League

TEAMMWLPTNRR
DC16115220.617
KKR16105210.561
MI1610620-0.100
CSK1687170.100
RCB168717-0.022
KXIP168816-0.216
RR1679140.201
DCH164119-0.509
PWI164128-0.551