Rock-bottom Sunrisers end RCB's three-game winning streak by successfully defending 141-7 - Virat Kohli's side reaching 137-6 in reply; Roy's stand with Williamson proves crucial against Patel (3-33) and Christian (2-14); Maxwell hits 40 off 25 balls in vain
Wednesday 6 October 2021 19:33, UK
Jason Roy top-scored as Sunrisers Hyderabad pulled off a surprise four-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Abu Dhabi.
Roy's 38-ball knock spurred rock-bottom Sunrisers to 141-7 which proved sufficient to earn them just the third win of a troubled campaign as Bangalore failed to chase down a target of 142.
RCB - who have already qualified for the play-offs - were aiming to bolster their top-two ambitions by chalking up a fourth win in a row that could have taken them above Chennai Super Kings on net run-rate.
But they came unstuck despite strong performances from Harshal Patel (3-33) and Dan Christian (2-14) with the ball, with 41 from Devdutt Padikkal and Glenn Maxwell's 40 off 25 balls proving insufficient.
Sunrisers had lost 10 of their previous 12 games but seemed well set as Roy and Kane Williamson (31 off 29) compiled a fluent second-wicket stand of 70 in 9.4 overs after Abishek Sharma (13 off 10) chipped George Garton (1-29) to mid-on.
The innings rather stuttered, though, once Williamson (31 off 29) lost his middle stump to an accurate Patel cutter as the Kiwi looked to give himself room.
Roy successfully reviewed on 42 after being given out caught behind as he attempted to reverse sweep Yuzvendra Chahal (1-27) - the ball missing ball and gloves - but there was to be no reprieve just two runs later.
The England opener fell attempting to drill a slower ball from Christian down the ground, but couldn't quite believe it as the bowler snaffled the chance after a couple of juggles.
With Priyam Garg (15 off 11) already back in the pavilion, 107-4 became 107-5 as Chahal picked up the wicket of Abdul Samad lbw on review.
Patel picked up the final two wickets to fall - Wriddhiman Saha and Jason Holder both holing out as Sunrisers attempted to up the ante.
Kohli tried to set the tone for Bangalore's chase by driving the first ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar for four through the covers only to play across his pad and fall lbw to the seamer for five.
A second scalp soon followed as Christian failed to prove the answer to RCB's number three headache, undone by a split-finger delivery from Siddarth Kaul.
The chase was wobbling at 37-2 off six overs and the exit of Srikar Bharat (12), caught down the leg-side off Umran Malik just a run later, gave Sunrisers further heart.
Their progress was checked by a fourth-wicket stand of 54 between Padikkal and Maxwell, who struck sixes off successive overs from Rashid Khan (1-39) as the spinner's first two overs went for 24.
The pair advanced RCB to 92-3, but the return of Rashid with 50 runs needed off the final overs brought the breakthrough Sunrisers craved - although in unexpected fashion.
Padikkal pushed into the off-side and called a single only for Williamson to swoop in the covers and land a direct hit with a one-handed pick-up and throw at the striker's end with Maxwell barely in the picture.
The opener could not atone for the mistake - pulling Rashid to deep midwicket - nor could Shahbaz Ahmed get RCB across the line despite being given a life by Bhuvneshwar in the deep on 10.
Garton came in with 14 needed off eight balls, which became 13 off the final over and although AB de Villiers (19no off 13) pumped Bhuvneshwar down the ground for six, the target proved just out of reach.
It's a double-header on Thursday! Watch Chennai take on Punjab in the IPL from 10.50am, on Sky Sports Cricket. Then from 2.50pm it's Kolkata vs Rajasthan.
