19.5 overs: Sunrisers 163-7 (Sharma 19, P Kumar 1) target 168 What a save! Sharma carves it high over cover towards the fence, where Agarwal leaps acrobatically and pushes it back into the field of play. Five needed from the last.

19.4 overs: Sunrisers 161-7 (Sharma 17, P Kumar 1) target 168 Wide yorker and just a single. Seven needed from two.

19.3 overs: Sunrisers 160-7 (Sharma 17, P Kuma 0) target 168 Sharma on strike and it’s another good yorker, that the batsman can only club down the ground for a single. Great bowling this.

19.1 overs: Sunrisers 159-6 (Sharma 16, Reddy 15) target 168 Coulter-Nile is the bowler and he starts with a yorker that’s dug out to third man, who is up in the circle, for a single.

19th over: Sunrisers 158-6 (Sharma 15, Reddy 15) target 168 23 needed from 12 balls, Angelo Mathews to bowl. Sharma, 14 from 4 balls, looks to slog again but Mathews change of pace is good. Cuts for a single next to bring Ashish Reddy on strike and he mistimes a full one over the top and down to long-off for four! Another ugly charge and heave and another good slower ball to beat the bat. But then a length ball is swung miles over mid-on for six! 12 needed from seven balls and two are scored from the last of the over.

Ball-by-ball time.

18th over: Sunrisers 145-6 (Sharma 14, Reddy 3) target 168 Two new batsmen then and the second of them, Karn Sharma, gets 12 in two balls with a pair of meaty slog-sweeps over mid-wicket. Four singles from the other four balls and maybe I’ve been hasty in writing this one off? Have I? No, I’m sticking to my guns here.

Wait, wasn’t it one of the sequels where Brody’s son dies?

17th over: Sunrisers 129-6 (Reddy 1) target 168 Morgan joins Bopara at the crease and watches his partner smite Duminy’s first ball back over the bowler’s head for six. Morgan gets on strike and takes a single that was never on from his first ball, but gets away with it as the throw misses. Bopara then ensures that he won’t finish the game for Hyderabad and I’ll wager that’s this chase is, like Chief Brody’s son in Jaws, dead in the water. Yep, as I write that Morgan goes for naff all again. A half-century, four wickets and two catches now for Duminy.

16th over: Sunrisers 120-4 (Bopara 34) target 168 Six more for Bopara! He takes a big swing and middles it over long-off for six off Tahir. Another single, then Ojha misses out on a full-toss, only able to work it square for one. Bopara gives him the strike back and will regret doing so as his partner throws it away. Time out time.

15th over: Sunrisers 110-3 (Ojha 10, Bopara 26) target 168 For the record, if Ravi Bopara does finish this off and win it for the Sunrisers I promise never to make fun of him again. Ohja hits a golf swing out into the gap at mid-on for two, then screams a length ball over extra-cover for a one-bounce four. The final ball is chipped down the ground for one more and Ojha will retain the strike.

14th over: Sunrisers 101-3 (Ojha 2, Bopara 25) target 168 In fact it’s seam at both ends, with Coluter-Nile coming back in. Short to Bopara and he stands and delivers exquisitely – a gorgeous pull through mid-wicket for four and that’s Ravi Bopara at his best. Two balls later he gives him the charge and slogs wildly towards Agarwal at cow corner, where the fielder totally misjudges it and palms the ball over the rope for six. Hundred is up.

13th over: Sunrisers 90-3 (Ojha 1, Bopara 15) target 168 We’re switching back to seam and Angelo Mathews, maybe a nice idea with these two just growing accustomed to spin. Then Rahul is dropped badly by Joseph. A big slog, straight up in the air and Joseph gets in position before shelling it. The ball goes up so high the batsmen have time to run two, but no bother as the very next ball brings the wicket. It’s Naman Ojha next in ahead of Morgan.

12th over: Sunrisers 86-2 (Rahul 22, Bopara 14) target 168 Back comes Tahir and he nearly gets Rahul with his second ball, a big turning leg-break that took the edge from the expansive drive, but it dropped short of gully. Ooh and then an inside edge from Bopara on the sweep goes inches past the stumps and down to long-leg for three. The partnership is up to 35 from 33 balls without really convincing.

11th over: Sunrisers 79-2 (Rahul 20, Bopara 9) target 168 It’s Mishra again and the batsmen take singles from the first two balls, before Rahul muscles a long-hop over mid-on for six. Another one to get Bopara on strike and then he pushes past a misfield at extra cover for one more.

10th over: Sunrisers 69-2 (Rahul 12, Bopara 7) target 168 Spinner number four and here to chuck down some pies (Kevin Pietersen’s words, not mine) is Yuvraj Singh. The pressure mounting, Rahul steps down the track to him and drives him high and straight for the first six of the innings. 10 off the over, but that’s only matching the required rate now.

9th over: Sunrisers 59-2 (Rahul 4, Bopara 5) target 168 We’ll have leggies at both ends, with Mishra coming into the attack. Personally, I can’t think of anyone better for an under-pressure run-chase, on the subcontinent, against a spin-heavy attack than Bopara. Ahem. Rahul reaches for one from miles outside leg-stump here and hoicks it to cow-corner for one.

8th over: Sunrisers 55-2 (Rahul 2, Bopara 3) target 168 With two wickets, a catch and a 50 in the match so far, I reckon Duminy can be rather pleased with his contribution so far. Tahir, the leading wicket-tacker in the tournament, comes in and twice nearly squeezes it through Rahul’s defence. Just two from that over.

7th over: Sunrisers 53-2 (Rahul 1, Bopara 2) target 168 The first ball back brings a wicket and that brings Bopara in at number three. He gives Warner the strike with a single, but the captain goes and the Sunrisers are in the malodorous stuff now! Rahul pushes down the ground and they take a run, then they do the same when Bopara nudges into the off-side.

6th over: Sunrisers 50-0 (Warner 28, Dhawan 18) target 168 A lovely chip down the ground brings Warner his first boundary, and he’s unlucky not to get another when he pulls the next ball straight back down the ground and it rockets into the non-striker’s stumps. Never mind, he steps down the track and fires a lovely inside-out off-drive through the field for four more. What wrists. Same again with the fourth ball and Joseph is getting a mighty hammering. Fuller next and Warner knocks it square for two, then four more smashed through long-off. That required rate is looking a wee bit easier now.

5th over: Sunrisers 32-0 (Warner 10, Dhawan 18) target 168 The required rate is racing towards double figures now, although Dhawan helps his side out with a late dab for four off of Mathews. There’s something really disconcerting about the way Danny Morrison is so enthusiastic about saying “Double Ds”. Four more for Dhawan as he bottom edges a cut between the keeper’s legs. And then four more from the fifth ball, a wide one that’s cut behind point. This is more like it.

4th over: Sunrisers 20-0 (Warner 10, Dhawan 6) target 168 Duminy’s experiment with himself (stop it, now) is over and Muthuswami, also known as Dominic Joseph, has a go. He starts short and wide, but Dhawan can only bottom edge it into the ground. Some really good fielding means he starts with three dots, then Dhawan wears another one on the torso and he’s clearly hurting. Warner calls him through for a leg-bye anyway. Warner is rewarded for a push to mid-on with two more runs, but that’s it for the over. Three from it and no boundaries from the first four.

3rd over: Sunrisers 17-0 (Warner 8, Dhawan 6) target 168 A quick crowd shot shows an unnerving number of men pointing their cameras at the scantily clad blonde cheerleaders rather than watching the match. Coulter-Nile carries on and the batsmen take a single apiece from the first two balls. The following three bring the same, before Warner takes the lead in the scoring stakes with a late cut for two.

2nd over: Sunrisers 10-0 (Warner 3, Dhawan 4) target 168 Sharing the new ball is... JP Duminy? The captain, with his raft of spinners, opens with himself and he too opens with one that doesn’t bounce, rolling through the legs of Jadhav and away for a couple of byes. Warner works him round the corner for one more, then Dhawan punches down the ground for another. A big wide down the leg-side, then Warner runs one more thanks to a misfield by Mishra at mid-off. Another fumble, at point this time, and it’s one more for Dhawan.

1st over: Sunrisers 3-0 (Warner 1, Dhawan 2) target 168 Nathan Coulter-Nile will open the bowling to his compatriot and Delhi will need their seamers to keep it tight. The first ball is a pea-roller than nearly has Warner falling over lashing out at it. With his bat. The bowler follows this up with an absolute peach that zips past the outside edge, missing it by millimetres. Runs from the fourth ball, pushed to cover, where the fielder gets a hand to it to prevent the boundary. Dhawan on strike and his first ball thuds bruisingly into his ribs. Cracking first over from Coulter-Nile. The final ball is pushed off the back foot for two through extra-cover.

So not the best total from the Daredevils and David Warner, buoyed by that excellent catch off of Yuvraj, will be feeling confident. And we all know what he’s like when he’s confident.

19th over: Daredevils 158-4 (Mathews 12, Jadhav 13) Praveen Kumar again and, at his pace, it’s going to be attempted yorkers you’d think. I don’t know, because they’re showing an effing montage again. Three singles from the first three balls, then Mathews steps down the track to a slower ball and lofts it back over the bowler’s head for six runs, far more aesthetic than most in this slogathon of a competition. Ah that’s more like it from Jadhav, down on one knee and mown over cow corner for six more.

18th over: Daredevils 142-4 (Mathews 4, Jadhav 5) Bhuvi Kumar returns for the antepenultimate over. Two to Mathews off the second ball, when he pushes it square off his pads and Bopara prevents the boundary with a good sliding stop. Suddenly 180 looks like a tough ask, although 160 will be competitive on this pitch. Mathews is then nearly run out if it’s a direct hit, but it isn’t, then his pull drops just short of Reddy at square-leg. There’s panic in their ranks now, it seems.

17th over: Daredevils 136-4 (Mathews 2, Jadhav 1) Two new batsmen at the crease then. That really was an excellent leaping catch by Warner on the boundary. Just four from the over and those two wickets have, as you’d expect, put the brakes on a bit.

16th over: Daredevils 132-3 (Yuvraj 9) Is Yuvi gone here? Nope, a good direct hit from the fielder at mid-on, but he stretched and got his bat home in plenty of time. Anyway, Duminy gets on strike and gives Steyn the charge, hooking a short one over mid-wicket for six to bring up his fifty. A single brings Yuvraj back on strike and he swivel-pulls square for a couple more. Good batting this and 180 – a good score on this pitch – is on. Having said that, Steyn gets rid of Duminy with the final ball of his final over and finishes with 1-27.

15th over: Daredevils 121-2 (Duminy 47, Yuvraj 5) Last over then for Bopara and Duminy fires his second ball back the way it came for a scorching boundary. There’s a huge shout from Ojha behind the stumps as the South African batsman then gets something on a leg-side delivery, but it sounded like pad to me. Indeed the umpire agrees. A short ball is then hammered to the mid-wicket fence, perfectly bisecting the field. Bopara’s lack of pace is being exposed here and a six over long-on from the final ball means he finishes with 0-38.

14th over: Daredevils 106-2 (Duminy 33, Yuvraj 4) Warner wants to knock the new batsman, Yuvraj, over quickly and he recalls Dale Steyn to the attack and he beats the batsman with an absolute beauty that fizzes past the outside edge and lifts sharply, taken by Ojha above his head. Yuvraj hooks the next ball unconvincingly to fine-leg for one. Width for Duminy but he misses out, only finding the fielder on the point boundary. Half a shout for LBW from the fifth ball but it’s pitched outside leg and is bouncing over. Other than that etc. Just three from an excellent over and it’s LOOK LET’S JUST CALL IT WHAT IT IS AND ADMIT IT’S AN AD BREAK time.

13th over: Daredevils 103-2 (Duminy 32, Yuvraj 3) After dropping that toughish chance, can Bopara make amends with the ball? “Test playah!” exclaims Danny Morrison and if he says that one more time I’m going to force a white batting pad somewhere that will hurt him. A good over, ruined by the final ball, which is short and rifled through mid-wicket for four by Duminy.

12th over: Daredevils 95-2 (Duminy 27, Yuvraj 1) It’s a double change as Praveen Kumar comes back and once again he’s too straight and pushed off the pads for one by Duminy. Iyer then gives himself room to smash it, but Praveen spots it well and sends down a good wide yorker. The wicket of Iyer brings Yuvraj in to rapturous applause. Can anything be rapturous other than applause? A single to Duminy brings the big man on strike, and he’s dropped first ball! Clipped to mid-on where Bopara misses out diving to the right!

11th over: Daredevils 92-1 (Duminy 25, Iyer 60) With wickets needed Ravi is taken off and Ashish Reddy comes in. A single brings Iyer back on strike and he slogs to mid-wicket, where Morgan can’t quite get to the catch, charging in. Reddy then puts it in the slot and Iyer tees off over mid-off for his fifth six. I’ve not seen Iyer bat before, but he looks pretty useful here. He’s on 60 from 38.

10th over: Daredevils 80-1 (Duminy 23, Iyer 51) Iyer goes for the slog-sweep against the spin and gets a top edge. Up it goes, but it’s cleared the mid-on rope anyway. Six more next ball, much more convincing as he comes down the track and hammers it over Steyn’s head in the same region. That’s his half-century too; well-played, that man.

9th over: Daredevils 66-1 (Duminy 22, Iyer 38) Four for Duminy as Bopara comes round the wicket to the left-hander and the batsman just works it to fine-leg with the angle. This pitch really does look lifeless as Bopara sends the limpest looking wide you’ll ever see down the leg-side. Nine off the over, with a single to Duminy off the fifth ball bringing up the 50 partnership. It’s been a good one.

8th over: Daredevils 57-1 (Duminy 16, Iyer 36) Hello again. As seems wise on this slow, low track, the spinner is on and he is Karn Sharma. One. One. One. Then six! Iyer getting to the pitch of the ball and slamming it back over the bowler’s head. He goes over the top again next ball, picking extra-cover this time, but mistimes it and the ball loops over the fielder in the ring for one. Duminy hits a straight single to finish the over.

7th over: Daredevils 46-1 (Duminy 13, Iyer 28) Bopara into the attack and some farcical fielding from the first two balls allow one, then two, when neither should really have gone for anything. It’s decent, if unthreatening from Ravi, a couple more singles worked away and a dot to finish.

It’s time for a Bullshit (TM) Strategic Time Out.

6th over: Daredevils 40-1 (Duminy 9, Iyer 26) There’s a change of bowling for the final over of the powerplay, with Praveen Kumar returning. And he starts with another leg-side wide. Iyer then looks to go big and straight; he doesn’t quite get hold of it and Steyn runs back, but he can’t quite get there and indeed can’t quite flap it back into the field of play before it clips the rope. Four. The batsman walks down the pitch and looks to slog a slower one, but he doesn’t pick it and the ball trickles through the keeper, barely bouncing. He gets hold of the next one though, clubbing a juicy half-volley over long-on for six. Single from the final ball makes 12 from the over.

5th over: Daredevils 28-1 (Duminy 9, Iyer 15) Another LBW appeal from another low delivery by B Kumar, but again it pitched outside leg before thudding into Duminy’s pad. A leg-bye, then Kumar sends down a surprisingly nippy bouncer to Iyer. A full-toss, flicked to mid-on, yields the only run off the bat. Great over from the man with the dreamy eyes.

4th over: Daredevils 26-1 (Duminy 9, Iyer 14) Steyn will continue and have a crack at his international team-mate Duminy. The commentators are suggesting that Steyn and Boult can’t play in the same team as the Indian batsmen in their team aren’t good enough to allow them to drop Eoin Morgan. Christ they must be awful. Warner has taken one of his slips out and Duminy edges at head height straight through that region for four. In comes second slip again, Warner showing he learned so much from Alastair Cook.

3rd over: Daredevils 20-1 (Duminy 4, Iyer 13) An immediate change of bowling brings an immediate reward as Bhuvi Kumar strikes first ball. Duminy comes in. Does anyone else find it odd that he, rather than Mathews, is the captain? He’s almost gone first ball as Kumar traps him plumb in front with one that keeps low, but it pitched six inches or so outside leg. After a wide, Duminy clips square for a couple. There’s absolutely no bounce here for the seamer. A good dive and parry by Warner at mid-off saves a couple from Duminy’s nicely timed drive down the ground.

2nd over: Daredevils 15-0 (Agarwal 1, Iyer 11) Belatedly, here’s Dale Steyn and he finds the edge first ball, but again it doesn’t carry to second slip, who at least makes a good diving stop to his right. Surely the slips need to step up? Good start this from the man with hella bad hair, three dots in a row, before he offers Iyer a touch of width and the batsman hammers him through extra cover for four. Two more next up, run off the face of the bat down to third man and the batsmen come through very quickly. More good running follows on the final, a sharp single to cover and then back for an overthrow.

1st over: Daredevils 7-0 (Agarwal 1, Iyer 5) The players are gonna play play play play play and it’s Praveen Kumar, rather than Steyn, with the first over. His first ball is an in-ducker to the right-handed Agarwal and gets carved to deep backward point for a single. The second ball brings an appeal for caught behind against Iyer; has there ever been a ball go through to the keeper in the IPL that hasn’t brought an appeal? Nowhere near the bat. Iyer is walking an absolute mile across his stumps to off and it works as he flicks a straight one off his pads, round to fine-leg for four. Kumar follows it up with a wide, then finishes with a dot as Agarwal’s edge drops short of slip.

Last time out this pitch proved to be a low-scoring one, so Steyn may prove difficult to get away for the Daredevils’ batsmen.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: DA Warner*, S Dhawan, KL Rahul, NV Ojha†, EJG Morgan, RS Bopara, A Ashish Reddy, KV Sharma, P Kumar, B Kumar, DW Steyn

Delhi Daredevils: MA Agarwal, SS Iyer, JP Duminy*, Yuvraj Singh, AD Mathews, MK Tiwary, KM Jadhav†, NM Coulter-Nile, A Mishra, Imran Tahir, DJ Muthuswami

Toss and team news

The Daredevils win the toss and will have a bat. Dale Steyn gets his first go of the year, coming into the Sunrisers’ side for Trent Boult.

The Daredevils’ win over Kings XI last time out was their first in 12 matches. Whoda thought that the team that splunked $2.67m on an out-of-form, unfit, past-it Yuvraj weren’t that good, eh?

Preamble

Morning folks. Or, I guess, afternoon folks, if you’re reading this in India. The outstanding contemporary English bowler and the most skilful to come from these shores? That’s the talk around Ravi Bopara (shut up yes it is) at the moment. The much maligned England all-rounder has been selected in every one of the Sunrisers’ matches in this year’s IPL, ahead of the $2m man Dale Steyn, and he’s arguably been their standout performer, with the ball at least.

Neither of these sides has particularly impressed so far, even if the Sunrisers did take it to the wire against the in-form Royals on Thursday. It’ll be interesting to see if either side shake shake shake shake shakes it up (yeah I was listening to Taylor Swift on the way in) today, as both could do do with a convincing win – a scrappy encounter will remove the doubts for no one.

The Daredevils’ performances have been more in line with the disappointing Ben Affleck flick of the same name and they, like their opponents have just one win so far, on Tuesday in Pune over Kings XI. They have one of the most underrated and potentially brilliant players in world limited overs cricket on their side, and who wouldn’t want to see the likeable Angelo Mathews fire? He’s Bopara’s direct counterpart, making this the clash of the all-rounders-who-deserve-more-credit-than-they-get.

Play begins at 11.30am GMT, or 4pm local time. Toss and team news when I get it, and all that.