Watson guides Royals to win

Riding on a swashbuckling 49-ball 76 from Shane Watson, hosts Rajasthan Royals defeated Kings XI Punjab by six wickets in the IPL Twenty20 tournament played at Sawai Mansingh stadium.

The Australian all-rounder looked in terrific form as he blasted almost all Punjab bowlers at will clouting five sixes and as many fours. Watson was involved in two invaluable partnerships as he first put on 51 for the fourth wicket with Darren Lehman (17) and followed that with a 69-run stand for the unbroken fifth wicket stand with Ravinder Jadeja (36 not out).

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Earlier, Royals captain Shane Warne produced a superb spell of 3 for 19 to restrict the Punjab side to 166 for eight.

The Australian spin legend's act of leading from the front overshadowed a chancy but strokeful half century by his opposite number Yuvraj Singh (57) who won the toss and decided to bat first.

The visitors would have been in a worse position had Yuvraj not been dropped twice when he was on 15 and 27, the first time off Warne and the second off Siddarth Trivedi.

Warne, however, removed Yuvraj, who was caught and bowled while trying to sweep the retired spin legend. Yuvraj struck six fours and three huge sixes in his 34-ball innings.

Warne also cut short Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara's explosive but short innings of 20 made from eight balls and studded with three fours and one six, besides removing opener James Hopes (16).

The other opener had promised a lot at the top of order with two huge sixes off Munaf Patel who, however, had the last laugh clean bowling the young Punjab batsman for 26 (3x4, 2x6).

IPL 2008

India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla made a late flourish with an unbeaten 11-ball 24 to take to a competitive score.

For the Royals, Trivedi returned figures of 2-25 while Munaf took one wicket for 36 runs.