Warner heroics take Sunrisers into final

Sunrisers Hyderabad found a finisher in Bipul Sharma, known better for his spin skills. The left-hander matched his left-handed Australian partner, David Warner, and eliminated Gujarat Lions from the Indian Premier League with a stunning four-wicket victory at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Friday.

Warner’s tactical handling of the chase, pacing his innings and marking his bowlers to maul, snatched the match away from Lions which at one stage was sitting pretty with the opposition at 75 for four and then 117 for six. Sunrisers Hyderabad, eying a spot in the final, rallied around Warner, the lone bright spot as the team fumbled through a dark alley. Warner’s 93 off 58 balls and Sharma’s 27 from 11 brought a fitting end to an intense match.

Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 163/6 (Warner 93*, Bipul 27*; Kauhsik 2/22) beat Gujarat Lions 162/7 (Finch 50, McCullum 32; Cutting 2/20) by 4 wickets