Daredevils-Warriors match called off due to rain

New Delhi, May 21: Delhi Daredevils ended the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League at the bottom of the points table as their last league match against Pune Warriors was washed out, forcing them to split points, here today. Both teams had nine points each but the Daredevils, with four wins and nine defeats, finished at the bottom of the table owing to their poorer run rate.

The Warriors, with equal number of wins as Delhi, had to be content with a ninth-place finish.
Daredevils, who decided to bat first after winning the toss, were 56 for three in 10.1 overs when rain stopped play at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

With both teams already out of contention for a place in the play-offs, the match was of no consequence, but despite the lack of significance, people turned up in large numbers to witness what was supposed to be the final opportunity for both teams to end an otherwise mediocre campaign on a winning note.

When the rain halted for a brief while, there was a glimmer of hope as the ground staff swung into action to allow resumption of play at the earliest, using the super soakers and by mopping.

But, as it turned out, the packed weekend crowd went back disappointed as it rained heavily, leaving the match referee with no option but to call off the match. Just 10.1 overs of play was too less a time to leave an imprint and the players from both sides couldn’t do much.

After a quite first two overs, skipper David Warner decided to cut loose hitting Alfonso Thomas for a four and a six. As Thomas bowled a fuller one, Warner smashed it over mid-off to break the shackles. If that was not enough, the left-hander then smoked one over square leg for the maximum. He then lofted James Faulkner over wide long-on for another six. But Warner's pyrotechnics was short-lived as James Faulkner cleaned him up with one of his better deliveries.

Warner's wicket was a big blow for the Daredevils as he was the batsman who was looking in good nick. The Australian scored 19 off 10 balls with the help of a boundary and two sixes. Shrikanth Munde then had Naman Ojha caught by Sharma to land Delhi another body blow.

Matthew Wade crawled to 11 off 20 balls before Mitchell Marsh uprooted his off-stump to leave the Daredevils reeling at 47 for three in the ninth over. Ingram, with the help of a boundary, was batting on 13 off 12 balls, while Venugopal Rao was yet to open is account when rain interrupted. Faulkner, Mundhe and Marsh picked a wicket each for the Warriors. Source: PTI