Giants edge it despite Binny fifty

Delhi Giants 137 for 8 (Mahajan 36, Razzaq 4-23) beat Hyderabad Heroes 130 (Binny 50, Sudhindra 3-25) by seven runs
Scorecard

Dhruv Mahajan starred with bat and ball as the Delhi Giants boosted their chances of making the semi-finals with a tight seven-run win over Hyderabad Heroes in Gurgaon. Mahajan was named Man of the Match for his brisk 36 and for a nerveless final over in which he picked two wickets in the first two balls.

With the Heroes needing 31 off the last two overs, the Giants' star recruit Shane Bond conceded 16 in his over as his former New Zealand team-mate Chris Harris crashing a boundary through cover before swinging a massive six over midwicket. That left the Heroes 15 to win, and with the rampaging Harris and Stuart Binny (50) at the crease, they would have fancied their chances. Mahajan, though, had both of them skying catches to long-on to effectively seal the match.

Earlier, Abdul Razzaq took four wickets as the Giants were restricted to a modest 137. The Heroes' might have expected an easy chase but medium-pacer TP Sudhindra's three early blows left them playing catch up. It was Stuart Binny's fifty and Justin Kemp's 33 that brought them within sight of victory before Mahajan provided his heroics.

The result leaves the Giants, the Superstars and the Heroes tied on six points, but the Heroes have played five games, one less than the other two. The Kolkata Tigers and Chandigarh Lions are in pursuit, two points behind but have played only four matches each.