Kings XI Punjab’s David Miller slammed an unbeaten 89 off just 44 balls against  Sunrisers Hyderabad. (BCCI)

Agencies/Hyderabad

David Miller produced one of the great IPL knocks in a losing cause for the Kings XI as he fought a one-man battle against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, slamming 89 off 44 balls in Hyderabad yesterday. But it was too little, too late and the Sunrisers won by five runs.
His innings included nine sixes and two fours, but the assault was launched when hope was all but gone. He came to the crease when the Kings XI were 60 for three in the eighth over but he, like those before him and afterwards, could not get going against a disciplined and sustained attack.
For four overs, it looked as if they may make a game of it, running up 37. But then the slow left arm of Bipul Sharma came into play and snapped up two wickets in two successive overs.
From there, it was all downhill, rapidly and embarrassingly. No one else stood up to be counted. Faced with a target of 186, at a run-rate of 9.25 an over, they were 70 for four at the halfway stage and 104 for six going into the last five overs. In that time, they had exceeded the required run rate in only three overs. The target then, 16.4 an over. Once again, the Kings’ imported big guns failed to fire: Glenn Maxwell gone for 11, George Bailey for six.
It was David Warner’s brilliant 81 which provided the rock on which the Sunrisers built their win, setting themselves up for a place in the play-offs. He and Shikhar Dhawan set off at pace, literally, smashing 46 runs off the first four overs of pace, including 18 off Beuran Hendricks’s first over of just his second game of the series.
They brought up the first 50 in 26 balls and went on to 53 by the end of the powerplay. The introduction of spin signalled a good fightback by the battered Kings. Offspinner Glenn Maxwell struck with his first ball, having Dhawan stumped with a cleverly flighted delivery for 24 off 18 and five overs yielded 27 runs.
But the pressure was released once again when Hendricks returned to be smashed for 13 off the 10th over. At the halfway stage, the Sunrisers were comfortably warm at 86 for one and looking to turn up the heat.
Captain Warner took it upon himself to lead from the front. He raced to steal the Orange Cap from Ajinkya Rahane, eventually going past 500 runs for the season. Then, completely against the run of play he paddled a low full toss from Hendricks to midwicket. His 81 had come off 52 balls with six fours and five sixes. It was enough.
Brief scores
Sunrisers Hyderabad 185 for 5 (Warner 81,
Hendricks 2-40) bt Kings XI Punjab 180 for 7 (Miller 89*, Henriques 3-16) by 5 runs