BANGALORE, India, CMC – West Indies limited overs batsman Lendl Simmons struck a half-century in only his second innings of the new Indian Premier League season to help Mumbai Indians beat Chris Gayle’s Royal Challengers Bangalore by 18 runs, and end their losing streak here yesterday.
Without a win in five outings this season, Mumbai piled up 209 for seven from their 20 overs and then restricted RCB to 191 for seven at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Sent in, Mumbai were given a flying start by the right-handed Simmons who anchored two enterprising partnerships with a top score of 59. He put on 47 for the first wicket with Parthiv Patel who scored 12 and a further 72 for the second wicket with Unmukt Chand who hit 58.
The 30-year-old Simmons stroked nine fours and two sixes off 44 deliveries while Chand faced 37 balls and counted eight fours and two sixes.
Simmons was finally out in the 14th over, top-edging a sweep at leg-spinner Yuzvendra Singh Chahal to fine leg where Varun Aaron took the catch.
Chand and Rohit Sharma, who made 43, added 42 for the third wicket but West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago big hitter Kieron Pollard failed, lasting only three balls for his five.
In reply, RCB were off to a troubled start, losing Gayle for ten off 24 balls as they slumped to 125 for six in the 15th over.
However, AB de Villiers hammered a shot-filled 42 from just 11 deliveries with five fours and three sixes, in a 58-run sixth wicket stand with fellow South African David Wiese who was unbeaten on 47 at the end.
