MUMBAI, India, CMC – Dwayne Smith smashed a half-century and then snatched two wickets in a Man-of-the-Match outing, to help lift Mumbai Indians to an impressive 58-run victory over Chris Gayle’s Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
Playing at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai piled up a challenging 194 for seven of 20 overs, with Smith’s even fifty coming off just 36 balls with four fours and three sixes.
He put on 68 for the second wicket with Dinesh Karthik whose 43 required 33 balls and included three fours and a six.
The right-handed Barbados and West Indies batsman ripped into Vinay Kumar in the seamer’s second over that cost 19 runs, blasting a four and two sixes off the first four balls of the over.
He eventually fell to left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad, bowled attempting a big hit at the start of the 11th over.
Smith’s West Indies teammate Kieron Pollard then produced a typically robust 34 from 16 balls, lashing two fours and three sixes in a whirlwind 51-run, fourth wicket stand off 27 balls with Karthik.
However, he was one of three wickets to fall off successive deliveries in the 18th over sent down by Kumar.
West Indies pacer Ravi Rampaul, roughed up by Indian star Sachin Tendulkar (29) early on, finished with one for 35 from his four overs.
In reply, Royal Challengers faltered in their run chase with Gayle failing to conjure up any miracles this time, falling for 18 off 20 balls.
Rampaul chipped in with 23 not out off 18 balls down the order, sharing an unbroken eighth wicket stand of 51 with Kumar who finished on 26 not out.
With RCB struggling at 81 for five at the end of the 13th over, Smith killed off any hope of a resurgence by removing Saurabh Tiwary for 21 and Syed Mohammad, 9, in his first over of two that cost 20 runs.
