Two catches: one dubious, the other outstanding
Plays of the day between Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Kotla
Jamie Alter at the Feroz Shah Kotla
29-Mar-2010
David Hussey takes a blinder to dismiss Paul Collingwood • Indian Premier League
Whack, whack, wicket
Opening the bowling with Chris Gayle's offspin was a gamble, but boy did it pay off. After two dot balls and a single, Virender Sehwag got on strike. Gayle's tactics were clear: fire the ball into the blockhole. But Sehwag skipped out, made two deliveries into full tosses and hammered boundaries past cover. For the last ball, Gayle slowed it up and bowled it wide, Sehwag charged again, missed, and was stumped. Gayle's impromptu jig was in stark contrast to Sehwag's loping return to the dug-out.
Opening the bowling with Chris Gayle's offspin was a gamble, but boy did it pay off. After two dot balls and a single, Virender Sehwag got on strike. Gayle's tactics were clear: fire the ball into the blockhole. But Sehwag skipped out, made two deliveries into full tosses and hammered boundaries past cover. For the last ball, Gayle slowed it up and bowled it wide, Sehwag charged again, missed, and was stumped. Gayle's impromptu jig was in stark contrast to Sehwag's loping return to the dug-out.
Third time's a charm
Three overs, three wickets, and each one to the final delivery of an over. Sehwag fell to the last ball of the first over, Gautam Gambhir was lbw to the sixth of Charl Langeveldt's first over, and Ishant Sharma hit back by inducing an inside edge from Dinesh Karthik into to his stumps, after David Warner had smacked him around for five deliveries.
Three overs, three wickets, and each one to the final delivery of an over. Sehwag fell to the last ball of the first over, Gautam Gambhir was lbw to the sixth of Charl Langeveldt's first over, and Ishant Sharma hit back by inducing an inside edge from Dinesh Karthik into to his stumps, after David Warner had smacked him around for five deliveries.
Caught or not?
Warner, on 96, advanced to Murali Kartik and drove the ball hard. Kartik flung himself to his left and appeared to have taken a low catch with both hands. Warner didn't challenge the catch and walked off but then the umpires converged and had a chat. Warner, nearly back to the dug-out, was called back because the men who matter were not convinced Kartik had taken it cleanly. Replays later showed the ball had bounced before Kartik took it, and the Kotla faithful created a tumultuous din.
Warner, on 96, advanced to Murali Kartik and drove the ball hard. Kartik flung himself to his left and appeared to have taken a low catch with both hands. Warner didn't challenge the catch and walked off but then the umpires converged and had a chat. Warner, nearly back to the dug-out, was called back because the men who matter were not convinced Kartik had taken it cleanly. Replays later showed the ball had bounced before Kartik took it, and the Kotla faithful created a tumultuous din.
Pure intensity
In the final over of Delhi innings, Paul Collingwood launched a full toss from Langeveldt to long-on. David Hussey backpedaled, jumped up, got a hand to the ball, and parried it over the boundary. But then, in a moment of genius, Hussey jumped over the rope, threw the ball back over while in the air, and took the catch after jumping back into play. The feat needed presence of mind and athleticism. It was almost an identical copy of the save that Angelo Matthews, Hussey's Kolkata team-mate, effected in the ICC World Twenty20 last year.
In the final over of Delhi innings, Paul Collingwood launched a full toss from Langeveldt to long-on. David Hussey backpedaled, jumped up, got a hand to the ball, and parried it over the boundary. But then, in a moment of genius, Hussey jumped over the rope, threw the ball back over while in the air, and took the catch after jumping back into play. The feat needed presence of mind and athleticism. It was almost an identical copy of the save that Angelo Matthews, Hussey's Kolkata team-mate, effected in the ICC World Twenty20 last year.
You hit, I york
Mathews had just flicked Umesh Yadav for four past a diving fielder on the square-leg boundary when the most promising Indian domestic fast bowler of the tournament produced a magnificent yorker. It was full, fast and uprooted middle stump before Mathews' bat was halfway down, and a pumped-up Yadav celebrated with a few expletives that won't win him a Spirit of Cricket award.
Mathews had just flicked Umesh Yadav for four past a diving fielder on the square-leg boundary when the most promising Indian domestic fast bowler of the tournament produced a magnificent yorker. It was full, fast and uprooted middle stump before Mathews' bat was halfway down, and a pumped-up Yadav celebrated with a few expletives that won't win him a Spirit of Cricket award.
Wounded Nannes
Everyone in Delhi seems to love Dirk Nannes, he of the boyish smile and fiery left-arm fast bowling, which more often than not returns economical figures. There were plenty of cheers when Nannes hit the stumps while bowling during practice before the game, and what followed after he struck the first blow for Delhi - uprooting Sourav Ganguly's leg stump - was deafening. However, when Wriddhiman Saha struck a meaty drive back in the air, Nannes let out a shriek in pain as the ball bruised his outstretched hand. He left the field and the home crowd let him know just how much he'd been valued on the evening.
Everyone in Delhi seems to love Dirk Nannes, he of the boyish smile and fiery left-arm fast bowling, which more often than not returns economical figures. There were plenty of cheers when Nannes hit the stumps while bowling during practice before the game, and what followed after he struck the first blow for Delhi - uprooting Sourav Ganguly's leg stump - was deafening. However, when Wriddhiman Saha struck a meaty drive back in the air, Nannes let out a shriek in pain as the ball bruised his outstretched hand. He left the field and the home crowd let him know just how much he'd been valued on the evening.
Karthik getting Kartik
Murali Kartik got a faint edge to a yorker from Andrew McDonald off the penultimate delivery of the game and stumbled forward after losing balance. The ball kissed his boot and dribbled back toward the stumps, but Kartik ambled out of his crease. In a flash Dinesh Karthik leapt from behind the stumps and affected a smart run-out.
Murali Kartik got a faint edge to a yorker from Andrew McDonald off the penultimate delivery of the game and stumbled forward after losing balance. The ball kissed his boot and dribbled back toward the stumps, but Kartik ambled out of his crease. In a flash Dinesh Karthik leapt from behind the stumps and affected a smart run-out.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo