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Warner prevails as Aussies shine in IPL

Marsh the standout in a high-scoring IPL clash, but Sunrisers prove too much for Punjab

The score: Sunrisers Hyderabad 3-207 (Dhawan 77, Williamson 54no, Warner 51, Maxwell 2-29) beat Kings XI Punjab 9-181 (Marsh 84, Kaul 3-36, Rashid 1-16) by 26 runs

The match in a tweet: Aussies shine in high-scoring thriller! Warner, Marsh star with the bat as the Sunrisers get over Maxwell's Kings XI

The Aussie pack: There was a heavy presence from Down Under in Mohali as the Glenn Maxwell-led Kings XI Punjab side hosted the David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad in a match also featuring Moises Henriques and Shaun Marsh. And it was Marsh who shone the brightest, the left-hander hitting 84 from 50 balls in a losing run chase while Maxwell fell for a duck. Warner also notched a half-century, hitting four sixes in a brutal 27-ball innings as Maxwell took 2-29 from four overs to easily be the pick of his side's bowlers. Henriques had a minimal impact, scoring 7no from the six balls he faced late in the innings and conceding 39 from his three overs, though he wasn’t helped by a rare Warner drop off his bowling.

Image Id: A856C44DD4954CD79BB4158249ADAF3E Image Caption: Shaun Marsh fired with the bat, but got little support // BCCI

The boundary surge: The Sunrisers needed their top-class batting line-up to fire early and they delivered with aplomb. Warner and Shikhar Dhawan (77 from 48) raced to 60 from just six overs and the score was 107 when Maxwell removed Warner with 10 overs still remaining. Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson finished the job, hammering 54 not out from 27 balls late in the innings as the Sunrisers hit 19 fours and seven sixes in total. It's only the second time in IPL history and the first instance since 2012 that three batsmen in one innings have posted a half-century. And while Marsh tried his best in the chase, he was given little support as the hosts fell 26 runs short.

The stat: Warner's knock was the sixth time in a row that he's scored a half-century against the Kings XI Punjab. His other scores in that streak have been 58, 81, 59, 52 and 70no.

Image Id: 5EEB720CEFA74EABB9757771ED8D5A3E Image Caption: Warner and Dhawan put on 107 inside 10 overs for the first wicket // BCCI

The mark: While Shaun Marsh earned two reprieves in the outfield - one a sitter put down by Deepak Hooda, the other a more difficult chance spilled by Warner - Maxwell showed his Australian Rules football skills by taking a great grab near the rope during the first innings. When Dhawan cracked one towards the leg-side boundary, Maxwell moved forward and then , having slightly misread the flight of the ball, leapt up and backards to take the ball cleanly with both hands stretched above his head.

Discontent and delight in IPL double-header

The wash-up: The Sunrisers have kept pace with leaders Kolkata and Mumbai with this victory and remain in third spot, just three points off the lead. The Kings XI, meanwhile have slipped to a 3-5 record and face a must-win game against fellow strugglers Delhi on Sunday.

Ricky Ponting's Team of the IPL - so far