Royals' home streak on

Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Shane Watson drives through the off-side during their Indian Premier League match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Jaipur yesterday. PHOTO: CRICINFO

Shane Watson's brilliant all-round effort and a brisk half-century by Sanju Samson helped Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here Monday.
Rajasthan Royals thus maintain their unbeaten run at home at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
A combined batting effort from the Royal Challengers took them to 171 for six with Chris Gayle top scoring with 34 off 16 balls. Shane Watson was the pick of the bowlers, taking three for 22.
Rajasthan Royals found an unlikely hero in Samson as the pocket dynamo smashed 63 off 41 balls while Watson scored 41 off 30 balls as Rajasthan chased down the visitors' total in 19.5 overs.
Rajasthan are now tied on 12 points with Royal Challengers but have an inferior run-rate so they remain in third position.
Samson and Watson together strung a 68-run stand for the third wicket. One might have thought Watson, who has already scored a century and an unbeaten 98, to be the aggressor but it was diminutive man from Kerala who took the attack to the bowlers.
When Samson finally got out, Rajasthan still required 56 off 34 balls. Brad Hodge's cameo of 32 off 18 balls took the hosts to within touching distance of the target but a twist in the tale still remained.
Watson got out in the penultimate over with Rajasthan requiring 10 runs off 9 balls. Vinay Kumar dismissed Hodge in the second ball of the last over while Owais Shah (0) was run out the very next ball to create some last-minute excitement.
With Rajasthan requiring three off two balls, Stuart Binny (6 not out) hoicked Vinay Kumar for a four over mid-wicket to give his team a crucial victory.

SCORES IN BRIEF
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: 171 for 6 in 20 overs (Mukund 19, Gayle 34, Kohli 32, De Villiers 21, Henriques 22, Vinay 22 not out; Watson 3-22)
RAJASTHAN ROYALS: 173 for 6 in 19.5 overs (Dravid 22, Samson 63, Watson 41, Hodge 32; Rampaul 2-28)
Result: Rajasthan Royals won by 4 wickets.
Player-of-the-match: Sanju Samson.