 Knight Riders notch up thrilling win over Royal Challengers
9th May 2008 08:00 IST
Agencies
Earlier, the Kolkata Knight Riders rode on useful late order contributions after a shaky start to reach 129/7 in their rain-truncated quota of 16 overs.
Electing to bat after the nor-wester-triggered rains delayed the start of the contest at the Eden Gardens, the Knight Riders lost wickets at regular intervals while the Challengers fielded brilliantly to effect a couple of run outs.
For the visitors, South African pacer Dale Steyn (3/27) was the most successful bowler.
The Knight Riders' opening blues continued as they lost both the openers within the first four overs. Aakash Chopra (2) making his debut in the IPL, returned without making much of an impact when he was beaten by the pace of an incoming Steyn delivery and was wrapped plumb in front of the wicket.
The other opener, Brad Hodge (10) hit a couple of delightful boundaries but played an atrocious hook to be caught at long leg off Zaheer Khan.
Sourav Ganguly's runless streak continued, as he failed to build upon a promising start, becoming the victim of a brilliant piece of fielding by White at short cover.
Ganguly (20 off 22 balls) played to short cover and set off for a run, but White collected the ball in a flash and threw at the stumps at the bowler's end with the left-hander clearly short of the crease.
The Knight Riders reached 49/3 at the halfway stage and David Hussey decided to have a go at Anil Kumble, lofting the veteran leggie over the ropes for two back-to-back sixes as the around 50 thousand crowd erupted in wild jubilation.
But the Australian's 26-run cameo off 12 balls came to an end soon as he turned Kumble to fine leg and went for a second run. But Steyn sent down a brilliant throw for Boucher to complete the formalities.
The hosts were 64/4 at the end of the ninth over and Zimbabwean Tatenda Taibu, making his debut in IPL, came in to play some entertaining strokes.
The pint-sized Taibu (15) picked up a couple of boundaries off Vinay Kumar in the 10th over, but got out a little later while trying to hook Steyn. Boucher ran a long way to his left to take the catch.
Laxmi Shukla (12) failed to contribute much with the bat and dragged the ball onto his stumps. But Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha (17 not out off 10 balls) and Murali Kartik (17 off 13 balls) stitched together an invaluable 34-run seventh wicket stand before the latter was caught by Praveen off his own bowling.
Umar Gul (6 not out) then hit Praveen for a six over long of as the innings came to a close. |
