Tristan Stubbs scored a fighting half-century, but it was not enough as the Delhi Capitals suffered a 29-run loss to the Mumbai Indians in the IPL on Sunday.
Mumbai's first victory of this IPL season was set up by Romario Shepherd, who smashed 32 runs off the 20th over, bowled by Proteas quick Anrich Nortje.
The West Indies big-hitter scored a quickfire 39 off just 10 balls in an unbeaten partnership of 53 runs off 13 deliveries with Tim David, who scored 45 runs, to guide Mumbai to a total of 234-5 at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium.
Delhi finished on 205-8 despite Stubbs’ unbeaten 71 off 25 balls. They now sit at the bottom of the 10-team table.
Mumbai, five-time IPL champions, bounced back from their opening three losses, bringing relief to captain Hardik Pandya. He had been booed by fans at all venues after replacing Rohit Sharma as captain for this edition.
In the 19th over, David hit a six and a four. In the last over, Shepherd hit four sixes and two fours off Nortje, helping Mumbai score 42 runs in the final eight balls.
Rohit (49) and Ishan Kishan (42) lay the foundations for the total in an 80-run opening stand before Axar Patel sent the two back in the pavilion with his left-arm spin.
Returning batsman Suryakumar Yadav, who missed the first three losses to an injury lay-off, survived a toe-crushing yorker by Nortje on his first ball and then miscued the next delivery to mid-on for a two-ball duck.
Mumbai lost another wicket before Pandya and David put on 60 to steady the innings and take the attack to the opposition ahead of Shepherd’s explosive knock.
In reply, Prithvi Shaw hit 66 in his attempt to set up the chase after he lost opening partner David Warner (10) off Shepherd’s seam bowling.
Shaw and the left-handed Abhishek Porel (41) put on 88 for the second wicket before Jasprit Bumrah removed both.
South Africa’s Stubbs pushed for some fight as he raised his fifty in 19 balls but the asking rate kept climbing and Gerald Coetzee took three wickets in the final over to return figures of 4-34.