Mumbai march on with win over Daredevils
Mitchell McClenaghan and Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball as Mumbai Indians stretched their winning run to six Indian Premier League matches with a 14-run triumph over Delhi Daredevils to go four points clear.
McClenaghan has played a key role in Mumbai's outstanding start to the IPL season and the left-arm quick took 3-24 at the Wankhede Stadium as Delhi could only muster 128-7 in reply to 142-8.
Pat Cummins and Amit Mishra took two wickets apiece in an Indians innings that never really got going, with Jos Buttler's 28 the highest score for the leaders.
But McClenaghan claimed three wickets in his first two overs as the Daredevils were reduced to an embarrassing 24-6 and Bumrah took 2-21 after debutant Kagiso Rabada and South Africa team-mate Chris Morris combined for a 91-run stand to give the visitors hope of pulling off an unlikely win.
SIX WINS IN A ROW!!!#CricketMeriJaan #MIvDD #MI pic.twitter.com/Ki16JulpLd
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 22, 2017
Buttler was dropped by Rishabh Pant on 11 and took advantage of that life by smashing Rabada for six into the leg side, but the Proteas paceman had his first IPL wicket when he cleaned Parthiv Patel with the last ball of that over.
Sanju Samson ran the dangerous Buttler out with an underarm throw and Nitish Rana pulled Cummins (2-20) straight to Corey Anderson at midwicket.
The leaders continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and were 120-6 when Cummins saw the back of the clean-hitting Kieron Pollard (26 off 29). Hardik Pandya (24 from 23) was run out in the final over of what was an impressive display in the field from Delhi.
Zaheer Khan's side made a horrendous start to their run chase, though, as Pandya ran Aditya Tare out in the first over and they were five down for just 21 when McClenaghan trapped New Zealand team-mate Anderson in front without scoring.
Rabada was recruited for his hostile fast bowling, but he made an impressive 44 from only 39 balls and Morris scored an unbeaten 52 off 41 deliveries to give Delhi a sniff, only for Bumrah and McClenaghan to put the squeeze on at the death.