Delhi Daredevils lose by 38 runs to finish last

Delhi Daredevils' woeful season ended with yet another disappointing loss, this time by 38 runs to Pune Warriors, as they finished at the bottom of the nine-team table in the Pepsi Indian Premier League here today.

The penultimate league match of the competition had only academic interest and that was which among Delhi or Pune would be able to avoid the proverbial wooden spoon.

In the end, Warriors, backed by their skipper Finch's 52, posted a challenging target of 173, and successfully defended it by restricting the lacklustre opposition for a meagre 134 for nine.

Pune, by virtue of winning the last two matches, finished eighth with as many points as Daredevils had the ignominy of finishing last with six from 16 games.

It was the 13th loss out of 16 for Mahela Jayawardene and Co, which is testimony to the harrowing time they had during the season VI of the cash-rich league.

The batting failed yet again as the likes of Jayawardene, Sehwag fell cheaply. The performance they dished out definitely showed signs that both these stalwarts' careers is only going southwards.

While Jayawardene (14) chased a wide delivery off left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza to be caught at point, Sehwag (11) tried to play the inside out shot only to be caught at deep point by Raiphi Gomez.

Within the first 10 overs, the top five were back in the pavilion. Such has been the plight of Delhi batsmen, that Murtaza (3/15), who was plundered for 45 runs in two overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore during Chris Gayle's mayhem, returned with match-winning figures.

Wicketkeeper C M Gautham (30) and Irfan Pathan (24) did try with a 54-run stand but that was never going to be enough.