IPL: Billings fifty sees Delhi Daredevils to victory

Delhi v Kings XI: Scores

Delhi Daredevils win by 51 runs 

Delhi Daredevils inns: 188-6 (Billings 55; Aaron 2-45)

Kings XI innings: 137-9 (Patel 44; Morris 3-23)

Match report

Sam Billings struck a superb fifty to help Delhi Daredevils to a 51-run win over Kings XI Punjab in the IPL on Saturday.

Billings' 55 off 40 balls - featuring nine fours - was his second IPL half century, and first of this campaign.

Corey Anderson also pitched in with an unbeaten 39 from 22 deliveries lower down the order, some stunning ball-striking lifting the Daredevils to an ultimately insurmountable 188-6.

In reply, Kings XI never really challenged that target - Eoin Morgan managing 22 off 20 balls in his first appearance for the team - as they limped to a 137-9 finish.

Earlier, Delhi's innings got off to fine start after winning the toss and opting to bat first, with their in-form openers smashing 49 from the six-over powerplay - the fifty stand soon following.

Sanju Samson (19 off 18 balls) - who hit a hundred in their win over Rising Pune Supergiant in their last game - did perish in the seventh over though, while Karun Nair departed for a duck in the eighth.

Unperturbed by the setbacks, Billings breezed through to a 36-ball fifty in the 12th, reaching the milestone a ball after the dismissal of Shreyas Iyer (22 off 17).

With Billings following him back to the pavilion soon after, Delhi's innings was suddenly in danger of being derailed, by Anderson's late cameo ensured that wasn't to be the case.

The New Zealand allrounder smashed two fours and three sixes in the final two overs, with two of those maximums coming off the final two deliveries of the innings.

The Kings XI run-chase then got off to a terrible start as Shahbaz Nadeem (2-13) trapped Manan Vohra lbw for three in the second over.

While Hashim Amla (19 off 12) picked up a pair of fours in the third, his wicket - Kings XI's third - in the fifth over all but ended the contest.

Morgan and David Miller (24 off 28) rebuilt, but slowly, and England's white-ball skipper ultimately fell to Pat Cummins (2-23) after hitting the Australian quick for a couple of boundaries earlier in the over.

Kings XI captain Glenn Maxwell then lasted only two balls, holing out at deep midwicket off Amit Mishra (1-16), and any remaining hope for his side faded when Miller was out lbw to Anderson (1-23) in the 14th.

Axar Patel (44 off 29) had a bit of fun with some lower-order fireworks, but was one of two Chris Morris (3-23) wickets in the final over as Kings XI were soundly beaten.