Hyderabad: Opening batsman David Warner smashed a marauding 126 runs off 59 deliveries to power defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad to convincing victory against Kolkata Knight Riders in the second Indian Premier League clash on Sunday.
Kolkata paid a heavy price after skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and put Sunrisers Hyderabad in to bat. The Hyderabad captain capitalised on the chance and unleashed mayhem as he milked 10 fours and eight sixes at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium to propel the hosts 209 for three in 20 overs. He also became the highest run-scorer of the tournament so far with a tally of 459 runs.
Kolkata found the target too difficult to chase, especially after losing pinch-hitter Sunil Narine and Gambhir early. With the scoreboard reading 12 for two, Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey led the Knight Riders march in their chase. Even a brief rain interruption did not deter their resolve as the pair added 78 runs for the third wicket. But once both Pandey and Uthappa departed, it was never going to be easy for Kolkata, who ended at 161 for eight to lose the match by 48 runs.
The victory helped Sunrisers reduce the gap in the points table, staying on third spot with 13 points, one behind Kolkata and Mumbai Indians.
Warner and Shikhar Dhawan forged a 139-run partnership for the opening wicket as the former produced an astonishing show of power hitting.
Gambhir applied a strategy of completing the six overs of Powerplay with six bowlers, but none of them could stop Warner, who completed his 50 in only 20 deliveries. At the end of six overs, Hyderabad rocketed off to 79 for no loss, with Warner at 62 not out off 25 balls.
One delightful stroke that signified Warner’s belligerence was a switch-hit to Narine as the ball went for six over the short third man.
Later, Warner got a life as Chris Woakes dropped an easy catch at long-off off Chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the fifth ball of the 10th over. The catch went over the boundary line for a six and the following ball gave Warner another six to take him to 98 not out. The next over saw Warner complete a double with a flick towards midwicket off a Umesh Yadav delivery as he registered his century in just 43 deliveries.
All this while, Dhawan played a perfect foil to Warner, scoring a run-a-ball 29 before being run out, with the hosts at 139/1 in 12.4 overs.
Warner followed him to the dug-out soon, as he mistimed a slow delivery from pacer Coulter-Nile to Gautam Gambhir at short cover, with Hyderabad at 171/2 in 16.2 overs.
Kane Williamson (40 off 25) later ensured that Hyderabad crossed the 200-run mark with smart strokeplay.
