• Hazlewood helps RCB reach IPL final

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    The Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into the IPL final with an eight-wicket thrashing of the Punjab Kings on Thursday.

    RCB bundled out Punjab for 101, and overhauled that target with 10 overs to spare in the first qualifier at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh.

    Punjab will have another shot at making the final on 3 June when they face the winner of the eliminator between the teams that finished third and fourth in the table.

    Opener Phil Salt made an unbeaten 56* as Bengaluru made their fourth IPL final in the hunt for a first title.

    Star batsman Virat Kohli fell caught behind for 12 off New Zealand quick Kyle Jamieson, who took a wicket without giving a run in the over.

    Salt put on 54 runs with Mayank Agarwal, who fell for 19. Skipper Rajat Patidar made 15 and hit the winning six.

    The bowlers set up victory after Bengaluru elected to field and got a Josh Hazlewood boost as the Australian fast bowler returned after a shoulder injury.

    Hazlewood (3-21) struck two key blows, including skipper Shreyas Iyer, to rattle Punjab’s batting.

    Left-arm seamer Yash Dayal drew first blood to send back Priyansh Arya caught out for seven in the second over and soon fellow opener Prabhsimran Singh fell for 18.

    Hazlewood then struck twice to get Iyer caught behind in his first over and then Punjab’s previous-match hero Josh Inglis, for seven, in his next.

    Wickets kept tumbling and Punjab lost half their side in 6.3 overs when Dayal bowled the left-handed Nehal Wadhera.

    Australia’s Marcus Stoinis attempted to hit back as wickets fell at the other end as he made 26 off 17 balls with the two fours and two sixes.

    Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma took two wickets in one over and when he dismissed Stoinis as his third victim, the Punjab crowd fell silent.

    Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai helped the total past 100 before he was last out to Hazlewood and Punjab’s innings folded in 14.1 overs.

    The Gujarat Titans will take on the Mumbai Indians in the eliminator at the same venue on Friday.

    © Agence France-Presse

    Photo: BCCI

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    Simon Borchardt