KKR gets full points
Jacques Kallis batted with purpose to keep Kolkata Knight Riders ahead on run-rate when rain stopped play against Warriors on Saturday. Photo: K . Bhagya Prakash
A loud roar emerged from the stands at 7.10 p.m. on a damp Saturday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The cheers were reserved for that precise moment when the covers were finally removed to reveal a dry pitch after an evening of steady showers hinted at another wash-out.
The skies luckily cleared, the rain gods opted to take a breather before they returned with a vengeance but by then Kolkata Knight Riders felt victory's warm embrace in a Champions League Group B match.
KKR defeated Warriors as per the Duckworth Lewis method, scoring 83 for one from nine overs when the target at that time was stipulated at 62. Warriors had earlier scored 155 for four.
The victory helped Kolkata Knight Riders finish its league engagements on four points and the team will now pray hard for a semifinal berth while its fortunes entirely depend on the outcome of other Group B games.
Warriors, with four points, has another match to fulfil its hopes.
Kallis on the move
When KKR commenced its chase, Jacques Kallis (31 n.o.) did elaborate stretches near the pavilion bill-boards. Kallis had suffered a fall during the Warriors innings but his batting stride was a confident gait.
He struck a four and a six off Lonwabo Tsotsobe, watched Mark Boucher drop him on 15 and then flicked and straight drove Wayne Parnell.
Kallis' partner Manvinder Bisla rose on his toes and slammed a six off Parnell before the seamer lured a snick.
KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir immediately walked in and along with Kallis, motored on merrily.
Lucky Gambhir
Gambhir (33 n.o.) relished his step-out-and-slam jousts with Nicky Boje though he was lucky to survive on 21 when Kelly Smuts dropped a regulation catch off Johan Botha.
The skies turned wet again but by then KKR was home, dry and safe.
Earlier, Gambhir opted to field and Brett Lee tested J.J. Smuts, who tended to close the face of his bat.
Smuts survived and it was a confident Ashwell Prince, who returned to the dug-out, as he clipped a four off Lee and then got fatally ambitious against Kallis.
Smuts, Ingram shine
After some streaky fours that frustrated the KKR fielders, Smuts (46) settled down and charted an 80-run second-wicket partnership with Colin Ingram (61, 47b, 3x4, 3x6).
Smuts cut Yusuf Pathan but it was Ingram, who caught the eye with his clean strikes.
Kallis, Yusuf and Shakib Al Hasan felt the heat of the southpaw's bat.
Ingram even threatened the glass panes of the press box but the ball luckily dipped in its final trajectory.
He continued to muscle his way ahead while Smuts scooped Balaji to mid-off.
Boucher then joined Ingram and the wicketkeeper-batsman in an aggressive interlude, moved across and flicked his best mate Kallis twice past the fine-leg ropes and he kept the score ticking over though KKR did well to restrict Warriors below 160.
The scores.
Warriors: J.J. Smuts c Abdulla b Balaji 46 (43b, 6x4), A. Prince b Kallis 4 (2b, 1x4), C. Ingram c Abdulla b Lee 61 (47b, 3x4, 3x6), M. Boucher (not out) 38 (27b, 5x4), C. Thyssen c Kallis b Balaji 0 (2b), K. Smuts (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-1, nb-1): 6; Total (for four wkts. in 20 overs): 155.
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-95, 3-141, 4-152.
Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Lee 4-0-25-1, Kallis 4-0-33-1, Yusuf 3-0-23-0, Abdulla 2-0-12-0, Shakib 3-0-23-0, Balaji 4-0-35-2.
Kolkata Knight Riders: M. Bisla c Boucher b Parnell 19 (12b, 2x4, 1x6), J. Kallis (not out) 31 (19b, 3x4, 1x6), G. Gambhir (not out) 33 (23b, 3x4, 1x6); Extras: 0; Total (for one wkt. in nine overs): 83.
Fall of wicket: 1-35.
Warriors bowling: Tsotsobe 2-0-20-0, Theron 2-0-14-0, Parnell 2-0-24-1, Boje 2-0-20-0, Botha 1-0-5-0.
No comments:
Post a Comment