RCB live to fight for another day
Bangalore, May 18: Royal Challengers Bangalore kept their playoff hopes alive as Sunrisers Hyderabad's skipper Kane Williamson (81 off 42) and Manish Pandey's (62 not-out off 38) blistering knock went in vain in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.
It was once again Williamson, who along with Pandey forged a crucial partnership to take Hyderabad on the verge of another nail-biting win. However, it was the hosts who clinched the issue by 14 runs to keep their playoff dream alive.
Chasing the massive 219-run target, Hyderabad openers Shikhar Dhawan (18) and Alex Hales (37) took their side to a quick start, accumulating 47 runs in the first five overs.
However, the decent start was short-lived as Yuzvendra Chahal drew the first blood for the hosts in the sixth over when Dhawan came down the track but chipped back to the bowler.
With addition of another 17 runs in Hyderabad's scorecard, AB de Villiers took a stunning catch at deep midwicket to pack back Hales off a Moeen Ali delivery.
The duo went on to forge a crucial 135-run partnership for the third wicket, lifting the visitors to 199 runs in 19.1 overs.
With 19 needed off the final over, Mohammed Siraj jolted Hyderabad dismissing the visiting skipper to bring back Bangalore in the game.
Williamson's knock was laced with seven fours and five sixes.
Pandey and incoming batsman Deepak Hooda could only manage five runs off the final five deliveries as the hosts sealed the match by 14 runs to keep them afloat in the league.
For Bangalore, Chahal, Siraj and Ali bagged one wicket each.
Earlier, de Villiers and Moeen Ali smacked breezy half centuries to help Bangalore overcome a shaky start and post a mammoth 218/6 against Hyderabad in a must-win tie.
De Villiers (69 from 39 balls; 4x12, 6x1) and Moeen (65 from 34; 4x2, 6x6) put on a 107-run third wicket stand to resurrect RCB's innings which fell apart after the early loss of the opening duo of Parthiv Patel (1) and skipper Virat Kohli (12).
But New Zealander Colin de Grandhomme (40 from 17; 4x1, 6x4) and teenaged Sarfaraz Khan (22 not out from 8; 4x3, 6x1) lit up the stadium with some late order fireworks, to ensure the home side crossed the 200-run mark with a quick-fire 34-run stand.
For the tourists, Rashid once again emerged the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/27, while Siddharth and Sandeep chipped in with two and one wickets, respectively.
Brief Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 218/6 (AB de Villiers 69, Moeen Ali 65; Rashid Khan 3/27) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 204/3 (Kane Williamson 81, Manish Pandey 62 not out; Moeen Ali 1/21) by 14 runs.
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Trump confronts South African president over killing of white farmers
Washington, May 21 (AP): President Donald Trump used a White House meeting to confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing his country of failing to address the killing of white farmers.
“People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety," said Trump, who at one point dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video of a communist politician playing a controversial anti-apartheid song that includes lyrics about killing a farmer. "Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they're being killed."
Ramaphosa pushed back against Trump's accusation. The South African leader had sought to use the meeting to set the record straight and salvage his country's relationship with the United States. The bilateral relationship is at its lowest point since South Africa enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994.
“We are completely opposed to that,” Ramaphosa said of the behaviour alleged by Trump in their exchange.
Experts in South Africa say there is no evidence of whites being targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate.
