DSG's Spin Attack, Markram Fifties Spark Demolition of Royals

Aiden Markram's explosive batting and a stellar performance from his spinners helped Delhi Strikers Giants (DSG) demolish the Royals, keeping their playoff hopes alive. Markram top-scored with 53, while the spinners - likely referring to Tabraiz Shamsi and possibly another spinner - took key wickets to restrict the Royals. The win gives DSG a crucial boost in the tournament. Markram reached his half-century off 34 balls and then needed only 21 more balls for his century. He zoomed to the landmark with a sequence of 6,4,6,6 in the 19th over, which cost Royals 28 runs. Markram also lined up Ottneil Baartman, his former team-mate at Sunrisers Eastern Cape, taking the death-bowling specialist for 24 off 12. Baartman, though, did create a chance by drawing a mis-hit from Markram when he was on 79, but Hardus Viljoen closed his hands too early in the deep and dropped it. By the time Markram scooped a full-toss back to Viljoen in the final over of the innings, he had chalked up his career-best score and DSG had crossed 185. Viljoen came away with figures of 4 for 21 in his four overs. DSG's 189 for 7 looked a whole lot bigger once their bowlers, and more specifically their spinners, reduced Royals to 65 for 5 in the 12th over. It was Sunil Narine who produced the opening breakthrough when he bowled Kyle Verreyne through the gate with a sharp-turning offbreak for 23 off 19 balls. Aiden Markram ! He kept the momentum going, smashing fifties in back-to-back games! His fluency was on show as he launched Sikandar Raza for four sixes, Raza ended up with 4-0-57-0 . Markram's power-hitting kept DSG alive !