Sat, 16 Apr 2011 - IP Hyderabad vs IP Punjab, IPL 2011, 15th Match - Bulletin

Valthaty’s all-round brilliance scripts easy win

Paul Valthaty’s star value is getting bigger and bigger after every outing as he followed his blistering hundred in the last game with another match winning performance with bat and ball to play a crucial role in helping his Side Punjab to score a comfortable eight wicket win over Hyderabad.

Following his 4 for 29 in his four over spell, Valthaty partnered with skipper Adam Gilchrisht to put highest opening stand ever for Punjab as 136 runs were scored for the first wicket to shut Hyderabad’s chances of winning the game. He became the first player to score a fifty and take a four wicket haul as well in a same match and for his all-round brilliance he was awarded man of the match, his second in consecutive games.

It was action thrilled opening stand with both complementing each other on their way to record-breaking partnership. It was Valthaty who started the fireworks looting 23 runs of Manpreet Gony over to get his side going. Gilly, on the other hand, was relatively sedate as he watched his young opener hitting bowlers out of the park. What was good about Valthaty’s innings was most of his shot were proper cricketing strokes as he out-scored Gilly in the initial stages of the chase.

Gilly wasn’t left behind though as he unleashed his customary crowd killers hitting Daniel Christian for tournament’s biggest six and it was him who first crossed the fifty. Young opener played a second fiddle when his captain was going great guns and had a best seat to watch Gilly heroics from the non-strikers end.

It was straight sixes from thee both men that entertained the crowd and Punjab fans as Hyderabad’s all moves failed to halt the onslaught.

While Valthaty 75 came off 47 balls including seven hits to the fence and five sixes, Gilly who was first to get out when he hit one to deep square-leg’s throat consumed 46 balls for his 61 that was punctuated with five fours and three towering sixes.

Openers lost their wickets to Amit Mishra who gave Gilly quite a send-off as some hot words were exchanged between the two.

It was left to Abhishek Nayar who had a good 10 ball knock and Dinesh Karthik to finish the chase with 14 balls to spare.

Hyderabad were restricted to 165 runs thanks to a four wicket haul from wonder boy Valthaty aided by reckless batting from Hyderabad late middle order.

Hyderabad were well positioned at 88 for the loss one wicket with skipper Sangakkara and Shekhar Dhawan batting so well but receded as they four batsmen fell to Valthaty’s medium pace.

After sent into bat, Hyderabad lost Sunny Sohal early in the second over to Ryan Harris but Dhawan and Sangakkara counter attacked to put Punjab under pressure. Sangakkara played his trademark cover drives while Dhawan was bit innovative in his stroke play to give scoring rate a lift.

When both were at the crease Punjab had no answers with 75 runs scored off just nine overs and laying a strong position for the late order. Once Sanga was gone for a 28-ball 35 including five fours to a long hop from Piyush Chawla, wickets started to fell in a quick succession.

Valthaty then had a wicket of Dhawan for 45 off 35 balls including five fours and a six which slowed down the scoring rate as Punjab clawed back with more wickets.

It was left to breezy knock of Daniel Christian to take his side to some respectability he hit two sixes and as many four on his way to 30 using only 14 balls.

There was more success more Valthaty as he had wickets of Bharat Chipli, Amit Mishra and dangerous Christian while Ryan Mclaren accounted for JP Dumminy and Manpreet Gony in one over.