Hetmyer cameo dashes Holder’s hopes of IPL final
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (CMC) — Dashing West Indies left-hander, Shimron Hetmyer, returned for his first match in three weeks to uncork a cameo to fire Delhi Capitals to a 17-run victory over Jason Holder’s Sunrisers Hyderabad here Sunday and into the Indian Premier League final.
The 23-year-old blasted an unbeaten 42 from 22 deliveries to help Delhi up to 189 for three off their 20 overs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium and Kane Williamson’s top score of 67 off 45 deliveries was not enough as Sunrisers declined to 172 for eight.
Delhi will take on Kieron Pollard’s Mumbai Indians in today’s final in Dubai.
Opting to bat first, Delhi were carried by Shikhar Dhawan’s 78 off 50 deliveries, the left-handed opener spanking half-dozen fours and two sixes to anchor three key stands.
First, he put on 86 for the first wicket with Australian Marcus Stonis (38), added a further 40 for the second wicket with Shreyas Iyer (11) before posting 52 for the third wicket with Hetmyer.
With a lean campaign behind him and a previous highest of 45, Hetmyer found form just in the nick of time to strike four fours and a six in an entertaining knock.
He took a liking to Holder’s pace in the 18th over, smashing his Test skipper for three of four fours in an over which leaked 18 runs.
Holder finished with just one wicket from his four overs which gushed 50 runs.
In reply, Sunrisers slumped to 44 for three in the fifth over and never really recovered as South African seamer Kagiso Rabada (4-29) and pacer Stoinis (3-26) destroyed the innings.
New Zealander Williamson, who struck five fours and four sixes, tried to revive the run chase first in a 46-run, fourth-wicket partnership with Holder who made 11 from seven balls with a four and a six before swatting left-arm spinner Axar Patel to deep mid-wicket in the 12th over.
Williamson then added a further 57 for the fifth wicket with Abdul Samad (33) but his demise in the 17th over marked the end of Sunrisers’ challenge.