Collingwood proves his worth again

Paul Collingwood outshone a glittering batting line-up to give Delhi Daredevils a big total, which their bowlers defended comfortably despite a late assault from Ross Taylor, who tried to sweep Bangalore to victory. Virender Sehwag and David Warner played their cameos, but it was Collingwood who carried Delhi in the later half of their innings.

Bangalore bounced back from Sehwag and Warner knocks with quick wickets, but they couldn't get Collingwood's wicket. By the time Warner and Dinesh Karthik fell in the 10th and 11th overs, Collingwood had quietly played himself in and reached 14 off 15 courtesy a six-inch back-lift six while charging down to Jacques Kallis' slower ball. And his immediate response to Karthik's dismissal was to raise the back lift a little more and punish Cameron White with two sixes and a four in his only over, taking Delhi to 111 after 12.

No real explosion came in the next six overs, mainly because Delhi lost Kedar Jadhav too, but Collingwood kept Delhi going with two sixes - not into the stands, just over the fielders. The first of those hits brought up his fifty, but at 154 after 18 overs Delhi needed a big finish.

Collingwood was up to it again, this time punishing the youngster Mithun's length bowling. These two sixes were massive and 31 came off the last nine balls Collingwood faced. Even though Vinay Kumar finished with a decent last over, 30 runs in the last two overs had given Delhi enough to defend.