South African scored 108 off 51 balls
Thursday 21 April 2016 16:15, UK
Quinton de Kock blasted Delhi Daredevils to a seven-wicket victory over the well-fancied Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
The Proteas opener hit a magnificent 108 off just 51 balls as Delhi chased down 192 to win their second game on the trot.
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers had earlier built the platform for a huge RCB score, with knocks of 79 and 55 respectively, before a Daredevils fight back late in the innings - they conceded just 27 from the last four overs - restricted them to under 200.
It proved significant as De Kock, ably assisted by Karun Nair (54 not out from 42), made light work of the required total.
Delhi's decision to bowl first looked justified when in the first over, Zaheer Khan had Chris Gayle caught brilliantly at slip by JP Duminy without scoring. However, for the next 11 overs they had no answer to the power and panache of De Villiers and Kohli.
The pair were in irresistible form as they dispatched the Daredevils attack to all parts in a partnership of 107 for the second wicket with De Villiers eventually caught at long on, having made 55 from just 33 balls.
Carlos Brathwaite took the wicket in his first over but his second was less successful, Kohli reaching his 50 before Shane Watson got himself going with a big straight six and two fours through the legside.
Kohli then continued his charge, launching Amit Mishra for a six over extra cover before reverse sweeping the next ball fine and away for four. Zaheer's final over then went for 21, Kohli hitting two fours and a six from the last three deliveries.
Watson (33) was dismissed by Mohammed Shami, who also did superbly to run out Sarfaraz Khan (1) with a direct hit before, crucially, having Kohli caught on long on in the penultimate over as RCB finished on 191-5.
Delhi's innings also started with the dismissal of an opener for a duck in the first over, as Shane Watson and David Wiese combined brilliantly on the boundary to get rid of Shreyas Iyer.
De Kock was going nowhere though and ensured that the Daredevils still got off to a flyer, thumping a succession of boundaries in the powerplay, by the end of which he was joined at the crease by Karun.
Much like Kohli and De Villiers in the first innings, the pair had an answer to everything the bowlers could throw at them and, at times, seemed able to strike boundaries at will.
De Kock eventually gloved a Watson (2-25) delivery behind bringing to an end a fantastic innings that included 15 fours and three sixes and a match-winning partnership of 134 with Karun.
Duminy joined Karun and between them they knocked off the final few runs to seal victory with five balls to spare.
