Taylor heroics eliminate Delhi

Bangalore had been sloppy with their fielding - a catch and two run-outs went begging inside the first seven overs and the outfielding was very sloppy in the last six - but it was Delhi who were really left to rue catches put down off Ross Taylor in consecutive overs. With a raucous Bangalore crowd cheering his every move, Taylor gave them value for money with a stunning 38-ball 65 that sealed a thumping win and ensured that no IPL team will make it to the semi-finals.

Delhi's innings was not the performance they needed to ensure their progress to the semi-final, but they seemed set to redeem themselves early on with early wickets. Taylor took Glenn McGrath for three fours in his opening over, hitting with customary flair, but found Dirk Nannes short-of-a-length deliveries tougher to negotiate. With Nannes turning in a good spell of 1 for 12 off three, Bangalore were stifled and managed an unsatisfactory 35 from the Powerplay.

Ashish Nehra dropped an easy catch off Taylor, when on 18, at long-off and parried the ball over for six. That drop was the impetus Taylor needed to step up. Rajat Bhatia was drilled for six and then put down a return catch when Taylor was 32; McGrath returned and was picked for two more fours, one finely edged and the other pulled with disdain; Mishra was slogged for successive sixes, the first raising his fifty from 29 balls, and swatted for four. A thumped four from Dravid made it 21 in the over. Taylor was bowled soon after by Nannes, but by then the match was over.