Royal Challengers set 150-run target for Daredevils

Kevin Pietersen struck a brisk 37 and Mark Boucher hit a breezy 36 as Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a competitive 149 for seven against Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier League match here today.

Opting to bat first, the Royal Challengers got off to a a disastrous start with in-form Jacques Kallis departing in the very first ball of the match and Robin Uthappa (3), the other opener, exiting in the second over.

Pietersen (37 off 25), in Ross Taylor's (31 off 34) company, resurrected the Royal Challengers' innings with a 62-run fourth wicket stand and then Boucher (36 off 28) and Virat Kohli (22) added 61 runs down the order to take Bangalore outfit's near the 150-mark.

Promoted to the opening slot after his half century against Kings XI Punjab in the last match, Kallis shoulder armed a Dirk Nannes delivery that castled the South African.

The Royal Challengers' problems were further compounded when out-of-form Uthappa's mistimed pull off Ashish Nehra (2/34) found Pradeep Sangwan at mid-on. Reduced to 10 for two, the Bangalore side broke shackles in the fourth over, picking up 13 runs off Nehra.

Taylor initiated the process with a boundary through covers and then Pietersen joined the party, hitting the bowler for a six. Daniel Vettori also came in for some thrashing in his very first over, with Taylor first hitting him for a boundary and then Pietersen finishing off the over with another six.

Pietersen was going great gun when his misadventure to go for a switch-hit did him in as the Vettori delivery disturbed his timbers.

Taylor soon followed his skipper in the pavilion after Amit Mishra trapped him in front with a well deceived googly. Boucher, who was left out of the playing XI in first four matches, stuck two huge sixes in the 19th over off Pradeep Sangwan before falling to the left-arm pacer.

Brief scores: Bangalore Royal Challengers 149-7 in 20 overs (Kevin Pietersen 37, Mark Boucher 36, Ross Taylor 31; Ashish Nehra 2-34).