RCB posts record victory

BENGALURU — AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli on Saturday orchestrated a mayhem by scoring magnificent centuries as Royal Challengers Bangalore inflicted a crushing 144-run defeat on league leaders Gujarat Lions, registering a record victory in the Indian Premier League. Batting first, RCB plundered a massive 248 for 3, courtesy De Villiers’s 129 not out and an equally attractive 109 by Kohli with records falling like ninepins at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Having been deflated in the first session itself, Gujarat Lions capitulated to a meager 104 all out in 18.4 overs with Chris Jordan picking up 4-11 in 3 overs and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal getting 3-19 in 4 overs. With 10 points from 11 games and a positive net run-rate of +0.627, RCB will fancy its chances of sneaking in as the third or fourth team into the play-offs by winning all their remaining three games. While this is the second highest team score in the history of IPL behind RCB’s 263 for five against Pune Warriors, the Kohli-De Villiers combine eclipsed its own partnership record by pummeling the Lions to add a staggering 229 runs in just 16 overs. The previous best was 215 against Mumbai Indians during the last edition. Kohli also became the first player in the history of IPL to score two centuries against the same opponents in one edition of the league. De Villiers smashed a scintillating unbeaten 129 off 52 balls with 10 fours and 12 sixes while Kohli, en route his third hundred in a single edition of IPL, hit a brilliant 109 off 55 balls with the help of five fours and eight sixes. Brief scores: RCB 248-3 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 109, AB de Villiers 129 not out). Gujarat Lions: 104 all out in 18.4 overs (Aaron Finch 37; Chris Jordan 4-11, Yuzvendra Chahal 3-19, Sachin Baby 2-4). Caribbean tri-series The upcoming tri-series between the West Indies, South Africa and Australia will be the first series in history to see all matches played under floodlights, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced Saturday. 
All 10 of the One-Day Internationals will be day-night affairs, with the first match on June 3. 
"This is a major series with three very attractive teams featuring some of the world's best players," WICB Operations manager Roland Holder said.
"They are accustomed to playing under lights all over the world so we look forward to some very entertaining cricket. 
"We looked at ways to enhance the appeal and the spectator experience and it is accepted that fans like the day/night matches." 
International cricket will return to Guyana for the first time in two years, to coincide with the country's 50th anniversary of independence, for the opening fixtures. 
After three matches in St. Kitts, the last group games and the final will be held at the Kensington Oval, Barbados. 
The announcement comes at a time when South Africa has raised concerns about Australia's proposal to play a Test match on its tour this summer under lights.