Devils dare and crush Kolkata

The Delhi Daredevils bowlers paved the way for a seven-wicket Indian Premier League thumping of strugglers Kolkata Knight Riders Sunday as they reclaimed top spot in the table.

Kolkata were restricted to 123-8 at chilly Wanderers after they lost the toss and were sent in to bat and Delhi cruised home, reaching 125-3 with 17 balls to spare.

Openers David Warner, who made 36 off 23 balls, and 18-run Gautam Gambhir got Delhi off to a good start in the chase with a 53-run first-wicket partnership.

While Gambhir, Warner and Tillakaratne Dilshan were removed within three overs, South African AB de Villiers and Dinesh Karthik combined to carry them home.

The pair put on an unbroken 56 runs for the fourth wicket with De Villiers making 40 from 32 deliveries and Karthik contributing 17. Earlier, Ashish Nehra had struck twice in Kolkata's first over, and in the second Australian Dirk Nannes removed South African Morne van Wyk to leave them struggling at 9-3. Opener Sourav Ganguly and Yashpal Singh forged a 36-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but Amit Mishra sent Singh packing in the eighth over and three balls later added the wicket of Wriddhiman Saha to break Kolkata's momentum.

Kolkata 123-8 in 20 overs (S.Ganguly 44, A.Agarkar 39; A.Mishra 3-14, D.Nannes 2-15, A.Nehra 2-29).

Delhi 125-3 in 17.1 overs (A.B. de Villiers 40 not out, D.Warner 36, G.Gambhir 18; I.Sharma 2-23) JOHANNESBURG, Monday, AFP