The young gun and the old hand have both signed off from this year's Indian Premier League in bittersweet fashion with a Pyrrhic victory tinged with personal disappointment. Jake Fraser-McGurk was out for a duck in what is almost certainly Delhi Capitals' final match of the campaign. David Warner did not even get on the park, dropped for what was a must-win-heavily match.
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The night was little better for Lucknow Super Giants' Marcus Stoinis. He was stumped for five as LSG went down to a 19-run defeat that did neither side any favours.
This was Capitals' last regular season match and they had to win by a huge margin to have any chance of reaching the playoffs. LSG, with an even worse net run-rate, had to win their last two, starting with this one in New Delhi.
Giants lost, but not by enough for Capitals, so barring some improbable results elsewhere both will fail to make the play-offs meaning an early departure for all three of the IPL's Australian coaches, Capitals' Ricky Ponting and Lucknow's Justin Langer joining Trevor Bayliss of bottom team Punjab Kings.
It was sad end for Warner, who has been one of the leading lights of IPL since his debut in 2009 but has had a poor tournament. The New South Walian has made the most IPL runs of any overseas batter, third overall behind Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan, and three times topped the season's run chart.
But he made 168 runs in this campaign at an average of 21, finishing with scores of 18, 10, 8, one and, after three weeks out with a hand injury, one again. He was increasingly outshone by Fraser-McGurk, who made nearly twice as many runs at a much faster strike-rate, but the veteran was controversially picked ahead of the 22-year-old for Australia's T20 World Cup squad.
Warner's experience and popularity in India means he is likely to be back in the IPL next year, but he will be 38 and after this season may not command the fees he would like.
Fraser-McGurk will definitely be back, even if his dismissal betrayed his inexperience. As he took guard opposition skipper KL Rahul placed one of the two fielders allowed out of the circle in the powerplay at long on. The first two balls, from left-armer Arshad Khan bowling over the wicket, were wide down the legside. Fraser-McGurk swished at both without making contact.
The third ball was straighter, again swinging in. Fraser-McGurk thrashed at it, playing outside the line as the ball went over the stumps. The next ball he stepped back, seeking to access the offside, counter the inswing, and drive over long off. But the ball was too straight and not full enough, Fraser-McGurk skied the ball straight to long-on where Naveen-ul-Haq took a simple catch.
After his exit Abishek Porel (58 off 33 balls) and Shai Hope (38 off 27) put on 92 in eight overs. Late hitting from Tristan Stubbs (57 no off 25) and Rishabh Pant (33 off 23) lifted Delhi to 4-208.
It looked a par score, but not after Ishant Sharma (3-34) reduced LSG to 4-44. At that stage Delhi dreamed of the huge win they needed. Nicolas Pooran (61 off 27) and Arshad (58 no off 33) denied them that though they could not conjure a victory, LSG finishing on 9-189.
Australian Associated Press
