World Of Sports

Bangalore Royal Challengers held their nerve at the death to claim a three-run win over Deccan Chargers and move off the foot of the IPL table.

The Royal Challengers claimed four wickets for just five runs in the space of nine balls to limit their opponents to 153-6 and record only their second win in the IPL.

VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma shared a stand of 96 - Sharma becoming the highest run-scorer in the IPL with 235 - but it was not enough as the Royal Challengers' total of 156-8 proved just enough.

Praveen Kumar recorded figures of 3-23 and Zaheer Khan 3-24 before Sanjay Bangar hit two sixes off the final over from Anil Kumble to take the clash down to the final ball. But Kumble held his nerve to secure victory.

Spin to win

The Royal Challengers certainly had their bowling attack to thank for victory after their batsmen struggled to get the better of the Deccan spinners.

Bharat Chipli (10) went early but Wassim Jaffer and Virat Kohli shared a second-wicket partnership of 72 to bolster the Bangalore innings.

Jaffer was the mainstay of the Challengers innings as he stuck of well-crafted 44.

Jacques Kallis (6) and Kohli (38) were then deceived by the spin of Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh respectively in the space of four balls.

Misbah-ul-Haq (3) and Mark Boucher (16) also went cheaply, the former falling victim to a Shahid Afridi quicker delivery and Boucher slicing on to his stumps.

Bangalore skipper Rahul Dravid offered some resistance towards the end of the innings, making Scott Styris pay for dropping him on 12 by cracking two maximums from the New Zealander's last over on his way to a rapid 26.

Deccan response

The Chargers started the run chase at a leisurely pace and Adam Gilchrist (10) was well caught by Jaffer right on the boundary rope as he looked to up the tempo.

Herschelle Gibbs pulled a short delivery for four to get off the mark, but that was as good as it got for the South African before he was dismissed by Kumar for five.

Sharma continued his impressive form after a brief delay due to floodlight failure.

He clipped an effortless six off his pads and followed that shot up with two quick-fire fours, one punched through square leg and the second cut past point, while Laxman played the spin of Kumble expertly.

But Sharma eventually holed out for 57 and Laxmen fell lbw to Kumar for 52 as the Royal Challengers' accurate and ecomonical bowling proved decisive.