Wood fifer, Mayers fifty help LSG open IPL 2023 with victory over DC

The Lucknow Super Giants kickstarted their IPL 2023 campaign with a comprehensive victory over the Delhi Capitals at the Ekana Stadium on Saturday. Lucknow’s overseas stars shone against the Capitals as Kyle Mayers and Nicholas Pooran propelled the Super Giants to a daunting score of 193 for six before Mark Wood steamrolled Delhi with the ball, picking up the first five-wicket haul of the tournament to give the hosts a comfortable 50-run victory.

It was a tricky pitch to bat on in Lucknow’s first-ever home game in the IPL, and openers KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers got off to a circumspect start after David Warner won the toss and sent them in to bat. Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar restricted LSG to just 12 runs in the first three overs, and Chetan Sakariya capitalised on the pressure created by removing KL Rahul, with the opener holing out to Axar Patel at deep square leg.

The Capitals kept things tight in the powerplay, conceding just 30 runs, but Kyle Mayers switched through the gears in the middle to spur Lucknow forward. The West Indian was dropped by Khaleel Ahmed in the sixth over on 14 but made full use of his good fortune. Mayers clubbed two massive sixes off Kumar in the seventh over before taking apart the Delhi spinners, creaming Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav to all parts of the ground to get to a 28-ball half-century.

Mayers hit seven sixes in his innings before eventually being bowled through the gate by Axar in the 12th over. Delhi temporarily slowed the scoring rate with a couple of quick dismissals, but Lucknow managed to score 76 runs in the final six overs to post an above-par score. Nicholas Pooran flourished on his LSG debut with a trailblazing 21-ball 36, while Ayush Badoni and substitute Krishnappa Gowtham scored a combined 24 off eight balls to give the home side the perfect finish.

Chasing 194, Prithvi Shaw and David Warner gave the Capitals a strong start, scoring 40 off the first four overs, but Mark Wood’s introduction changed the complexion of the innings. The English pacer tested Prithvi Shaw with a few bouncers before cleaning up the opener with a rapid full delivery. Wood also burst through Mitchell Marsh’s defence with a thunderbolt that seamed in and bounced out Sarfaraz Khan in his next over to dent Delhi’s momentum.

Rilee Rossouw and David Warner attempted to arrest DC’s slide, but Ravi Bishnoi removed the South African and Rovman Powell, while Warner holed out to long-on after a sedate half-century to end the contest. Delhi limped to the finish line after Warner’s dismissal, and Mark Wood returned in the final over to complete his five-wicket haul, dismissing Axar Patel and Chetan Sakariya to complete a dominant performance from LSG to begin IPL 2023.