Kolkata Knight Riders celebrate their narrow win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in yesterday’s IPL clash in Sharjah. (BCCI)
Agencies/Sharjah
In the end, it was one sensational catch that turned a losing cause into a winning one. Kolkata Knight Riders stole a two-run win as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) messed up and choked in chase of 151 in the 11th match of the Indian Premier League yesterday.
Needing nine runs in the last over, Chris Lynn took a blinder in the deep to dismiss AB de Villiers which saw the match swing in a matter of seconds. Bangalore were in control of the match for 39 overs of the match until that last over mess-up.
It was one of those old Sharjah wickets, shiny and flat with plenty of runs on offer. On such an easy wicket. Kolkata had squandered crucial opportunities after being put in to bat by Bangalore. They lost two quick wickets at the start including that of their out-of-form captain Gautam Gambhir, who scored his third duck in a row in the tournament.
Kolkata started off with two fast bowlers, Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel bowling consistently at over 140kph. Morkel almost touched 150 on one occasion. It helped the opening pair of Parthiv Patel and Yogesh Takawale. Both the batsmen weren’t power-hitters and the pace helped them immensely.
Parthiv started off the chase with a cut shot past point for four. But it was Takawale who was a revelation. The right-hander took his chance against the pacy Morkel. In the last over of the powerplay, he hit three boundaries which included edges flying towards the fence as well.
The duo completed the fifty-run stand in the seventh over. With Virat Kohli, de Villiers and Yuvraj Singh to come, this was more than a dream start. It seemed as though the pacers were forcing things to move quickly to their own disadvantage.
It was the introduction of Jacques Kallis which worked for Kolkata. Though he was hit for a boundary in his very first ball, Kallis kept his length full and straight. Takawale, trying to work the ball away on the leg again, was struck plumb in front. Takawale’s 40 from 28 balls helped Bangalore pocket the momentum early on.
With the majority of Sunil Narine overs yet to come, it was something Bangalore would have planned for. The opening stand contributed 67 runs. Parthiv too was dismissed soon after in the next over with the leading edge caught by Lynn.
Needing 18 runs off the last two, De Villiers hit a boundary. But Yuvraj’s struggle meant the target was down to nine in the last with the southpaw dismissed for 31. After a single each on the first three deliveries of the Vinay Kumar over, de Villiers lofted the fourth ball. Lynn, on the long-on boundary, slipped, but managed to take the catch falling inches inside the fence. With a boundary needed off the last ball, Albie Morkel failed to capitalise on a full toss.
Despite the nervous win, Kolkata’s biggest worry now will be the form of Gambhir who has now registered three ducks in a row.
SCOREBOARD
Kolkata Knight Riders
J Kallis c Takawale b Chahal 43 (42b, 2x4, 1x6)
G Gambhir lbw Starc 0 (1b)
M Pandey c Kohli b Morkel 5 (3b, 1x4)
C Lynn c de Villiers b Aaron 45 (31b, 3x4, 3x6)
Y Pathan c Kohli b Aaron 0 (2b)
R Uthappa c Starc b Aaron 22 (18b, 1x6)
S Yadav (not out) 24 (18b, 1x4, 1x6)
R Vinay Kumar c Morkel b Starc 4 (5b)
Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-4) 7
Total (7 wickets, 20 overs) 150
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Gambhir), 2-10 (Pandey), 3-90 (Lynn), 4-90 (Pathan), 5-107 (Kallis), 6-129 (Uthappa), 7-150 (Vinay Kumar)
Bowling: M Starc 4-0-33-2; A Morkel 2-0-21-1; V Aaron 4-0-16-3; M Muralitharan 2-0-25-0; Y Chahal 4-0-26-1; A Dinda 4-0-26-0
Bangalore Royal Challengers
P Patel c Lynn b Vinay Kumar 21 (19b, 3x4)
Y Takawale lbw Kallis 40 (28b, 8x4)
V Kohli b Narine 31 (23b, 4x4)
Yuvraj Singh c Pathan b Yadav 31 (34b, 2x4, 1x6)
De Villiers c Lynn b Vinay Kumar 11 (12b, 1x4)
A Morkel (not out) 6 (5b)
M Starc (not out) 0
Extras (lb-5, w-2, nb-1) 8
Total (5 wickets, 20 overs) 148
Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Takawale), 2-67 (Patel), 3-122 (Kohli), 4-141 (Yuvraj), 5-145 (de Villiers)
Bowling: U Yadav 4-0-40-1; M Morkel 4-0-34-0; S Narine 4-0-17-1; R Vinay Kumar 4-0-26-2; J Kallis 4-0-26-1
