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Pietersen powers Bangalore's easy win

Chasing a modest total of 130, Bangalore were never troubled by Rajasthan bowlers as the visitors achieved the target in just 15.4 overs.

Earlier, riding on disciplined bowling by their pace bowlers, Royal Challengers Bangalore restricted Rajasthan Royals to a modest 130 for six.

Such was the control and domination of the Bangalore bowlers that only 14 fours were scored and the only six which was hit in the entire innings came off the second last ball.

Abhishek Raut was the top scorer for the hosts with his unbeaten 32 and it was his undefeated sixth-wicket partnership of 58 runs with Adam Voges (28) that helped the side set at-least a modest target. Drafted into the playing XI, Pankaj Singh (2/27) was the most successful bowler with two wickets while Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis and R Vinay Kumar took one wicket each.

Raut and Voges joined forces when their team was tottering at 72 for six and did extremely well to give something to bowlers to fight for.

The hosts did not get the start they would have hoped for after winning the toss as they lost wickets in a hurry.

In a space of seven balls both the openers — Naman Ojha (7) and Michael Lumb (9) — and Amit Paunikar (0) were cooling their heels back in the dug out.

The following batsmen found the scoring tough against a disciplined Bangalore attack on a slow pitch as only four boundaries came in the first six overs.

Shane Watson tried to break shackles by hitting rival skipper Anil Kumble for two fours but soon he too was back with his teammates as his attempted pull of Kallis went straight to Kevin Pietersen at square leg. Watson took 25 balls to score his 22 which had three fours.

Abhishek Jhunjunwala (13) followed him, becoming second victim of Pankaj as his attempted big shot landed in hands of Kumble at mid-off. —