Bowlers who left their mark in IPL-4

New Delhi: Although considered the batsmen's game, Twenty20 has proved to be a happy hunting ground for bowlers who use their skills and have the patience of a saint. Indian Premier League is one such arena where bowlers used the best in their armory to fox the batsmen. Here are the pick of the bowlers who either bamboozled the batsmen with their pace or outplayed them with their spin.

Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians): When he sends down yorkers at 150 kph, there is little that a batsman can do except saving their toes from getting crushed. Malinga has spearheaded Mumbai's bowling attack with his lethal pace and provided his outfit much-needed breakthroughs, both at the start and death. His wickets tally of 27 is by far the best that can neither be touched nor matched by any other bowler.

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The top 10 run machines of IPL 4

New Delhi: The most entertaining cricket league has reached its climax and it's a good time to look back at the run machines that lit up the cash-rich event with their willows. Here is our list of ten players who excelled in this edition of the Indian Premier League:

Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore): The marauding RCB opener has been a revelation since he was drafted into their squad. His inclusion has turned out to be the fortune changer for the Challengers. Tottering at one stage after losing three matches on the trot, Gayle came in as a messiah for RCB, after which the team never looked back and ended the round robin phase at the top of the table. The current holder of the Orange Cap, given to the highest run-getter, Gayle has already clobbered 511 runs from his giant bat in just nine outings. As expected, his average has been phenomenal, 85.16, and makes heads turn.

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Gilchrist ton revives old memories

New Delhi: When God was expected to interrupt the proceedings in the match between the Kings XI Punjab and the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium on Tuesday, it was the demigod named Adam Gilchrist who generated lightning with his array of strokes and showered fours and sixes.

The Kings XI skipper bludgeoned 106 runs in mere 55 deliveries, which tore the RCB bowling apart with his fierce hitting. And by the time the southpaw made his way back to the pavilion, the scoreboard read one of the highest totals (231) that have been made in the IPL history so far. And their emphatic 111-run victory also ensured that their chances of qualifying for the playoffs are still alive.

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Know your team: Royal Challengers Bangalore

With a combination of international stars together with exciting Indian talent, Royal Challengers Bangalore is one of the Indian teams that will take on the best of T20 clubs at this edition of the Champions League T20 in South Africa.

Having seen what it takes to play against the top clubs in the competition last year, Bangalore will like to put up a better showing than the last time. Challengers' skipper Anil Kumble is a man with unparalleled work ethic, and nothing short than bringing the trophy to India will be on his mind when he leads his team out on to the field on September 12 against Guyana. He would be aptly supported by his former Indian teammate and the 'wall' of Indian cricket Rahul Dravid.

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Australia outplay Pakistan

Gros Islet (St Lucia) May 2: Shane Watson once again reminded Pakistan the torrid time they had in the tour down-under late last year as his innings of 81 off 49 balls completely outplayed their opponents in their opening match of the Twenty-20 World Cup here on Sunday.
The Queenslander smashed seven fours and four sixes in the 34-run victory. He was well supported by David Hussey (53 off 29), who hit five massive sixes in his quick fire fifty and took the side to a monster-like total of 191 after Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to set the target for the opponents.
Al the Pakistan bowlers proved ineffective against the confident Australian side and went for plenty whenever they came to bowl. Their fielding was equally faulty, dropping both Watson and Hussey at the crucial juncture of the game.
Mohammad Sami, the hero with the ball in the game against Bangladesh yesterday, went for 54 in his four overs. Only Saeed Ajmal picked up three wickets with his crafty off spin.
The last over of Mohammad Aamer produced five wickets, including two run-outs, without conceding a single run.
It was mystifying that why Shahid Afridi allowed four overs of Mohammad Hafeez (47 in four over) inside the first 10 overs, especially when he proved expensive from the beginning.
In reply, the 47-run partnership of Shahid Afridi (33 off 24) and Misbah-ul-Haq (41 off 31)tried to take the match to the last few overs but once the skipper went no batsmen could show enough resistance against the disciplined Australian bowling, which was spearheaded by Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait with three wickets each.
Earlier, David Warner and Shane Watson put on a fifty-run stand for the opening wicket.
Australia were quick to adopt with the slow and sluggish nature of Beausejour Stadium pitch and ran quick between the wickets from the start.
Shane Watson penalized Hafeez in his next over with two fours and a six and collected 17 runs with Warner in that over.
Sami drew the first blood for his side by taking the wicket of Warner at square-leg but Watson carried on, scoring on every bowler.
Hafeez, who was proving expensive till that point did his team a favor by sending Michael Clarke (2 off 3) back in the hut.
David Hussey joined the party with Watson and started clobbering Pakistan bowlers from ball one. His four sixes off Sami summed up the day for Pakistan in the field. The Victorian went passed his fifty in just 27 balls but holed out to Fawad Alam off Saeed Ajmal.
The off spinner then got the price wicket of Watson, who paid the price of hitting across the line and found himself in front of the wickets. Cameron White, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson came and went quickly at the end.

Watson-Hussey take Aussie past 190

Gros Islet (St Lucia) May 2: Shane Watson once again reminded Pakistan of the torrid time they had in the tour down-under late last year as the strong Aussie all-rounder clubbed 81 off 49 balls to take his side to a monster-like score of 191 in their opening match of the Twenty-20 World Cup here on Sunday.
The Queenslander smashed seven fours and four sixes in his fast-paced innings. He was well supported by David Hussey (53 off 29), who hit five massive sixes in his quick fire fifty after Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to set the target for the opponents.
Al the Pakistan bowlers proved ineffective against the confident Australian side and went for plenty whenever they came to bowl. Their fielding was equally faulty, dropping both Watson and Hussey at the crucial juncture of the game.
Mohammad Sami, the hero with the ball in the game against Bangladesh yesterday, went for 54 in his four overs. Only Saeed Ajmal picked up three with his crafty off spin.
The last over of Mohammad Aamer produced five wickets, including two run-outs, without conceding a single run.
It was mystifying that why Shahid Afridi allowed four overs of Mohammad Hafeez (47 in four overs) inside the first 10 overs, especially when he proved expensive right from the beginning.
Earlier, David Warner started Aussie innings with Shane Watson and hit the first boundary by flicking Aamer in the first over and followed it up with a big six off Hafeez in the next over.
Australia were quick to adopt with the slow and sluggish nature of Beausejour Stadium pitch and ran quick between the wickets from the start.
Shane Watson penalized Hafeez in his next over with two fours and a six and collected 17 runs with Warner in that over.
Sami drew the first blood for his side by taking the wicket of Warner at square-leg but Watson carried on, scoring on every bowler.
Hafeez, who was proving expensive till that point did his team a favor by sending Michael Clarke (2 off 3) back in the hut.
David Hussey joined the party with Watson and started clobbering Pakistan bowlers from ball one. His four sixes off Sami summed up the day for Pakistan in the field. The Victorian went passed his fifty in just 27 balls but holed out to Fawad Alam off Saeed Ajmal.
The off-spinner then got the priced wicket of Watson, who paid the price of hitting across the line and found himself in front of the wickets. Cameron White, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson came and went quickly at the end.

India outshine Afghanistan by 7 wickets

Gros Islet, St Lucia, May 1: India accomplished the target of 116 in a professional manner in their opening match in the World Twenty-20 against Afghanistan at Beausejour Stadium here on Saturday.
Murali Vijay (48 off 46) provided the solid start for his side, while Yuvraj Singh (23 off 22) tried to get back in form by remaining unbeaten till the end. M S Dhoni (15 off 6) completed the victory with two huge sixes in the 15th over.
Earlier, a fifty by Noor Ali showed the glimpse of Afghanistan’s capability at the highest level as his knock took his side to a respectable total of 115.
The right-handed batsman stood at the wicket while wickets were tumbling at the other end and hit four boundaries. He was well supported by Asghar Stanikzai with his knock of 30 off 33 balls, including three huge sixes.
Ashish Nehra was the pick of the Indian bowlers, taking three wickets. Praveen Kumar too contributed with two wickets while Ravindra Jadeja and Zaheer Khan chipped in with a wicket each after M S Dhoni won the toss and asked the opposition to bat first.
In reply, Vijay got himself going with a four and a six in the first over while his opening partner Gautam Gambhir (4 off 6) perished in the third over of the innings after giving a straight chance to Mohammad Nabi at cover point off Dawlat Ahmadzai.
Suresh Raina, who replaced Gambhir, started off with two well-timed strokes in the off side.
Raina continued his good form of the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) and hit a four and six against off spinner Nabi in the fifth over. But he was completely foxed by the straight delivery of Samiullah Shenwari and the leg spinner got him out LBW.
Yuvraj Singh took his time in the beginning but did not take much time to send Sadiq into the stands off a free hit.
Vijay got a life in the 11th over as he was dropped at long-off but he made full use of that let off and hit two straight six off Nabi.He was dismissed two short of his half-century off Hamid Hassan but Dhoni completed the proceeding.