Sammy makes mark with maiden T20 half-century

JAIPUR, India,  CMC – West Indies captain Darren Sammy wasted little time in making his mark on the Indian Premier League, blasting a high tempo half-century in a losing effort for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Playing against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, the right-hander struck 60 from 41 balls with eight fours and a six, to help Sunrisers to 144 for nine, after they opted to bat first.

However, Australia batsman Shane Watson then smashed an unbeaten 98 to easily propel the Royals to their target in the 18th over.

Sunrisers were slumping badly at 29 for six in the seventh over before Sammy arrived to revive the innings.

He put on 58 for the seventh wicket with Amit Mishra (21) before adding another 27 for the eighth wicket with Ashish Reddy (14).

In only his second match of the IPL since arriving last week following the birth of his daughter in the Caribbean, Sammy got off the mark with a boundary down the ground off Watson’s medium pace, before whipping the bowler through mid-wicket for another four, two balls later.

He cleared the ropes at square leg with seamer Siddharth Trivedi for his only six before tickling medium pacer Stuart Binny to the fine leg boundary, to raise his maiden Twenty20 half-century off 37 balls.

Sammy eventually fell to the last ball of the penultimate over, lbw to James Faulkner to give the Australia pacer his fifth wicket.

Trinidadian seamer Kevon Cooper took one for 42 from his four overs.

Sunrisers claimed Ajinkya Rahane early to leave the Royals on seven for one in the third over before Watson and opener Rahul Dravid (36) snatched the game away.

Sammy’s three overs of medium pace cost just 17 runs.