DURBAN: IPL log leaders Delhi Daredevils went on a late wicket rampage in Durban last night, knocking off the Deccan Chargers’ last seven batsmen in the space of 17 balls to win by 12 runs.

With 19 deliveries remaining, the Chargers were three wickets down and needed just 25 runs to reach the 174 victory target — there seemed no stopping Andrew Symonds, who had scored a blistering 41 from 22 balls, and the sedate Ravi Teja (27 from 34).

What should have been a walk in the park turned into a walk in the dark, starting with the dismissal of Teja, caught on the fine leg boundary. Symonds went two balls later, and two deliveries after that, Dwayne Smith (1) followed him back to the dugout, both bowled by Rajat Bhatia.

Opener Adam Gilchrist had walloped 64 from 33 deliveries to set up the chase, but the problem was the lack of support from his team-mates. Chaminda Vaas (10 not out) was the only other batsman to reach double figures.

Yet the Chargers didn’t lose this match in the batting, they threw it away in the field. Symonds dropped Virender Sehwag (11) when he was on 0, but the expensive error was committed by Rohit Sharma, spilling a sitter when Tillakaratne Dilshan was on eight.

The Sri Lankan proceeded to tear into Shoaib Maqsusi a few overs later, smashing him for 24 runs in a six-ball spell that read like Lalit Modi’s bank account.

Dilshan (37 from 18) fell two deliveries later, after which the run rate dropped. But in the critical final over Vaas conceded 23 runs, five of them wides, as Dinesh Karthik (44 from 23) clubbed him for two sixes, a four and two runs.