Rampaul’s three wicket haul was not enough to save RCB

Ravi Rampaul

CHENNAI, India, CMC-West Indies pacer Ravi Rampaul snatched three wickets in an impressive spell that brought Royal Challengers Bangalore on the brink of victory but his efforts were not enough to prevent Dwayne Bravo’s Chennai Super King from stealing a four wicket win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) today

Rampaul grabbed three for 31 in four overs including two in the penultimate over to put RCB on the path to restrict Super Kings from reaching the winning target of 166.

Chennai Super Kings reached 166 for six with a ball remaining after RCB scored 165 for six in 20 overs.

Ravi Rampaul
Ravi Rampaul

Rampaul’s final two wickets included that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni who kept Chennai on course to victory with a well played knock of 33 which included one four and two sixes.

However the Trinidadian pacer, brought in for Muttiah Muralitharan, claimed his scalp in a decisive breakthrough for RCB as Dhoni got a thick edge to the keeper.

Rampaul’s third wicket came in the same over a few balls later after a brief but exciting encounter with his West Indian counterpart Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo pulled Rampaul for a six over deep midwicket before being trapped lbw as the contest headed to a nail biting end decided  in the final over.

Earlier, Chris Gayle opening the batting for RCB struck a four before getting a thick edge to wicketkeeper Dhoni as he reached for Christopher Morris’s delivery pitched outside off.

Bravo picked up 1 for 31 from four overs.

Meantime, Kieron Pollard’s Mumbai Indians strolled to a 41 run win over Pune Warriors.

Pollard was unbeaten on 19 which included a four to the deep square leg boundary and a six high over deep mid wicket.

Pollard also picked up a wicket for 19 runs from three overs.

Warriors scored 142 for 8 in 20 overs in reply to Mumbai Indians 183 for three.