World Of Sports

Shane Watson cracked a scorching 74 to lead Rajasthan Royals to a three-wicket victory over Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.

The Australian needed just 40 balls to compile the match-winning knock as the Royals reached their target of 157 with five balls to spare to open up a two-point lead at the top of the table and condemn Delhi to a third straight defeat.

Watson, Siddharth Trivedi and IPL debutant Dimitri Mascarenhas had earlier bagged two wickets apiece as Delhi were limited to 156 for seven.

Farveez Maharoof's blistering 39 off just 16 balls had given the visitors a platform, but his brilliant belligerence proved in vain.

Two early run-outs hampered the Royals' chase as AB de Villiers sent Yusuf Pathan (eight) and Mohammad Kaif (one) packing in successive overs.

But from then on Watson - who was dropped on 26 by Virender Sehwag - took command, peppering the boundary with some trademark powerful strokes as he racked up five fours and as many sixes.

He lost two partners in quick succession, Graeme Smith for 25 and Ravindra Jadeja for just six, but the Australian all-rounder's rhythm was not disrupted.

Mascarenhas (nine) was deceived by the spin of Sehwag and Shane Warne (11) by a slower ball from Maharoof before Watson fell to a contested run-out, but Mahesh Rawat (five) joined Niraj Patel (one) at the crease to guide the Royals to 159 for seven.

Having been put in to bat by the Royals, Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag put on 47 in a promising first-wicket partnership before Sehwag (17) became Watson's first victim caught at point by Kaif.

Shikhar Dhawan (three) was run out the following over and Gambhir's knock stalled on 31 off 23 balls when he was bowled off an inside edge by Trivedi.

Mascarenhas then struck twice in one over, first removing De Villiers (20) and then Dinesh Karthik (13) as Delhi lost two wickets for no runs to slump from 92 for three to 92 for five.

Amit Mishra contributed just four, but Maharoof took Warne to the cleaners in the penultimate over, bludgeoning four maximums off the veteran Australian before holing out to Niraj Patel.