Hyderabad Sunrisers clinch Indian Premier League play-off spot

Hyderabad: Darren Sammy hit back-to-back sixes to send a nervy Sunrisers Hyderabad into the Indian Premier League (IPL) play-offs with a five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here last night.

The West Indian star twice dispatched Iqbal Abdullah into the stands in the 19th over to take his team into fourth place in the standings, joining Chennai, Mumbai and Rajasthan in the play-offs, and knocking Royal Challengers Bangalore out of contention.

Sammy rescued the hosts from a serious wobble, when they lurched from 89 without loss to 112 for five when chasing a modest 131 to win.

Hyderabad were coasting when openers Parthiv Patel (47) and Shikhar Dhawan (42) were at the crease, but a trio of strikes by Abdullah left them vulnerable until Sammy’s intervention.

Earlier, Yousuf Pathan was the only Kolkata batsman to make a significant score as he smashed an unbeaten 49 from 29 balls to carry his team to 130 for seven after skipper Gautam Gambhir opted to bat first.

Sunrisers made a good start as Thisara Perera had Manvinder Bisla caught by captain Cameron White for 15, before Gambhir was run out for 10.

Eoin Morgan and Jacques Kallis were then looking to build a challenging score, but the Irishman was given out leg before to Karan Sharma for nine to leave the already-eliminated Knight Riders in trouble.