RESULT
19th match, Durban, April 29, 2009, Indian Premier League

RCB won by 5 wickets (with 1 ball remaining)

Player Of The Match
25* (13)
mark-boucher
Cricinfo's MVP
100.32 ptsImpact List
brad-hodge
New
RCB
Full commentary

That turned out far more tense than it looked. Hodge bowled well but Bangalore had a few needless shots in the middle. Then Boucher came out and showed his experience. Gayle tried to keep it full and flat that last over but erred by not taking a throw cleanly and allowing a second. And then he served up a full toss. Bangalore win their second. Plenty of questions asked as to where Boucher was before the last couple games. He's a cool player under pressure. The Bangalore team looks pretty pleased, and why not? They now have four points. Kolkata again go down in a close game. You have to go back to the toss, when they misread this track. Bangalore read it excellently and went in with three main spinners to go with KP's slow stuff. And then KP struck first ball. Kolkata made a mistake, you can say in hindsight, by dropping Mendis. They then used Hodge, perhaps a few overs too late, and though he took three Bangalore won in the end.

First time I've seen five players come up and share an award for the most sixes. Few surprises that Boucher is the Man of the Match for that innings.

Don't go very far because we have another game starting at this same venue shortly. It will be the Mumbai Indians playing Kings XI Punjab. I'm over to bulletining that game, but someone will be stepping up to handle the live commentary. Be well!

19.5
4
Gayle to Boucher, FOUR runs

full toss down the leg stump and Boucher swats it away! He's been the man to guide them home after a collapse, and what an innings to seal a tense win

19.4
2
Gayle to Boucher, 2 runs

cool customer, is Boucher, making room to steer this past point, Ishant runs after it and the scores are level

19.3
2
Gayle to Boucher, 2 runs

fired in down leg, Boucher makes room and drives past extra cover, they settled for one but Gayle didn't collect it cleanly and the ball rolls down the track, Pandey scampers straight down the pitch and they get a couple

And immediately a man goes into cow corner ... umm, a bit late.

19.2
4
Gayle to Boucher, FOUR runs

super shot under pressure! Boucher uses his feet and clips the full ball over midwicket and beats two men in the deep ... what a player

19.1
1
Gayle to Pandey, 1 run

expectedly its full and flat and Pandey slogs it past midwicket

Right. Ten needed off six. Gayle has the ball. Hmmm. Tense stuff. Pandey on strike.

end of over 194 runs • 1 wicket
RCB: 130/5CRR: 6.84 RRR: 10.00
Manish Pandey1 (1b)
Mark Boucher13 (9b 1x6)
Ishant Sharma 4-0-15-2
Brad Hodge 4-0-29-3
18.6
1
Sharma to Pandey, 1 run

follows up with an attempted yorker but ends up full down leg stump, Pandey exposes all three sticks and connects well to punch the ball into the covers

He's not impressed me with his batting so far, despite that 48 on international Twenty20 debut against Australia. Roelof is a good bowler and fielder but needs to work on the batting. Anyway in comes Manish Pandey for his first game this season and under some pressure. Another twist?

18.5
W
Sharma to van der Merwe, OUT

another edge and a wicket! Roelof what are you doing? Ishant pitches it up on a length, Roelof shuts his eyes and plays a really bad shot, getting a thin edge through

Roelof van der Merwe c †van Wyk b Sharma 9 (9b 0x4 1x6) SR: 100
18.4
Sharma to van der Merwe, no run

mad swing and a miss! Reolof looks to square leg and swings it away, beaten all ends up by a clever slower ball, back of a length just outside off stump

18.3
1lb
Sharma to Boucher, 1 leg bye

fires it in full down the pads, Boucher clears his legs to clip it but ends up with a thin inside edge down to short fine leg

18.2
1
Sharma to van der Merwe, 1 run

a mad waltz down from Roelof, who slogs a top edge over point

18.1
1
Sharma to Boucher, 1 run

short of a length outside off and he clubs it down to long-on

McCullum and Ishant have a chat. Looks like a scene from Of Mice and Men. Boucher takes in the field. Bangalore need 14 from 12 balls.

end of over 1811 runs
RCB: 126/4CRR: 7.00 RRR: 7.00
Roelof van der Merwe8 (6b 1x6)
Mark Boucher12 (7b 1x6)
Brad Hodge 4-0-29-3
Chris Gayle 3-0-18-0

The last two overs should have done it for Bangalore, with the sixes and all.

17.6
Hodge to van der Merwe, no run

good ball, slows it up and lands it on a length, defended back

17.5
1
Hodge to Boucher, 1 run

walks down and takes it on the full, clipping out to deep midwicket

17.4
2
Hodge to Boucher, 2 runs

makes some room and cuts that through cover and point for two

17.3
6
Hodge to Boucher, SIX runs

super shot, dances down and deposits that over long-on for six

17.2
1
Hodge to van der Merwe, 1 run

well bowled, spins away and the batsman gets a leading edge that rolls to Gayle at cover, who misfields needlessly and allows a single

17.1
1
Hodge to Boucher, 1 run

full and flat, gets to the pitch and punches the ball down to long-on

end of over 178 runs
RCB: 115/4CRR: 6.76 RRR: 8.33
Roelof van der Merwe7 (4b 1x6)
Mark Boucher2 (3b)
Chris Gayle 3-0-18-0
Brad Hodge 3-0-18-3
16.6
6
Gayle to van der Merwe, SIX runs

uses his feet and dumps the last ball over long-on, great shot that

16.5
1
Gayle to Boucher, 1 run

full and a bit wider, he frees the arms and square-drives past cover

16.4
Gayle to Boucher, no run

fired in, patted back on the bounce, Gayle misfields but recovers

Win Probability
RCB 100%
KKRRCB
100%50%100%KKR InningsRCB Innings

Over 20 • RCB 143/5

RCB won by 5 wickets (with 1 ball remaining)
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Indian Premier League

TEAMMWLPTNRR
DC14104200.311
CSK1485170.951
RCB148616-0.191
DC1477140.203
KXIP147714-0.483
RR146713-0.352
MI1458110.297
KKR143107-0.789