IPL: Rutherford in the runs again for Titans

HYDERABAD, India (CMC):

Sherfane Rutherford once again weighed in with the bat as his Gujarat Titans topped Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) game here yesterday.

Rutherford, batting at number five, struck an unbeaten 35 from 16 balls, including six fours and six, as the Titans chased down the Sunrisers’ total of 152 for eight, finishing on 153 for three in 16.4 overs.

It was the Titans pacer Mohammed Siraj that got things going as he ripped through the Sunriser batting line-up, claiming four wickets for 17 runs in his four overs.

The seamer sent back both openers, first Travis Head for eight and then Abhishek Sharma for 18, before snaring the scalp of Aniket Verma for 18 and Simarjeet Singh for a duck.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was the innings top scorer with 31, while South African Heinrich Klassen made 27. Australian Pat Cummins chipped in with an unbeaten 22.

In reply, the Titans were in early trouble at 16 for two, after Mohammed Shami dismissed opener Sai Sudharsan for five and Cummins sent back Englishman Jos Butler for nought.

Captain Shubman Gil then got the run chase back on track with a match-winning, unbeaten 61, which came off 43 balls and included nine fours.

Washington Sundar chipped in with a valuable 49 from 29 balls before he fell to Shami in the 14th over.

Rutherford then joined his captain, and the pair took the Titans over the line to inflict a fourth straight defeat on the Hyderabad side.