West Delhi Lions edge Central Delhi Kings in last-over thriller

New Delhi, August 21 (PTI) Anirudh Chowdhary defended seven runs of the last over to help West Delhi Lions seal a dramatic three-run win over Central Delhi Kings in the Delhi Premier League here.

Chasing 179 on Thursday night, the Kings needed just seven runs in the final over, but Chowdhary produced a masterclass in death bowling.

Keeping his calm under pressure, Chowdhary conceded only three runs and dismissed skipper Jonty Sidhu (56 off 41) to deliver a memorable victory for the Lions.

He finished with figures of 1/24 from his three overs, with his final over proving decisive.

The Kings' chase had begun on a shaky note, losing a couple of early wickets. But opener Yash Dhull kept them in the hunt with a fluent 72 off 49 balls, stitching together a 79-run stand with his captain.

Sidhu's composed half-century, combined with a handy 23 off 12 from Aditya Bhandari, gave the Kings hope, but the late squeeze from Chowdhary and support from Shivank Vashisht (1/16 in 3 overs) tilted the contest in the Lions' favour.

Earlier, West Delhi Lions endured their own struggles, slipping to 65/4 before wicketkeeper-batter Krish Yadav anchored the innings.

Yadav's resilient 85 off 60 balls held the innings together, while Hrithik Shokeen (20 off 11) and Ravneet Tanwar's late flourish ensured the Lions reached a fighting total of 178/8.

For the Kings, Arun Pundir was the pick of the bowlers, returning with exceptional figures of 2/16 in four overs.

Brief Scores: West Delhi Lions: 178/6 in 20 overs (Krish Yadav 85, Hrithik Shokeen 20; Arun Pundir 2/16). Central Delhi Kings: 175/5 in 20 overs (Yash Dhull 72, Jonty Sidhu 56; Anirudh Chowdhary 1/24, Shivank Vashisht 1/16). PTI APA SSC SSC