 Kings XI Punjab pull off a thrilling one-run victory
21st May 2008 23:00 IST
Agencies
Earlier, in-form Australian Shaun Marsh made the most of an early escape to compile a superb 81 besides putting on a century stand with compatriot Luke Pomersbach to help Kings XI pile up a competitive score.
Marsh - dropped by Uthappa at gully off Pollock when on 6 - struck seven fours and four sixes in his 56-ball half century, his fifth in seven games. He also added 133 runs for the second wicket in only 86 balls with fellow left-hander Pomersbach (79 not out) to lift the visitors from 1/1 to a very competitive score.
The visitors, with 14 points under their belt going into their eleventh match, lost an early wicket of James Hopes who poked his bat at a fine outswinger from Pollock off the first ball he faced and nicked to stumper Pinal Shah.
But thereafter Marsh, who started slowly but then accelerated, stole the show with some classical batting driving, cutting and pulling to completely dominate the rest of the bowling once Pollock, after yet another stand-out bowling stint was off the attack after a spell of 1/14 in three overs.
Initially Marsh was overshadowed by his countryman Pomersbach during their second wicket partnership worth 133 in 86 balls that helped Punjab XI recover from a shaky start.
The Western Australian youngster, included in the Australian ODI team to play against the West Indies, had a lucky escape when on six in the team score of 8, but Uthappa, who had an off-day in the field, grassed the catch at gully after diving forward when Marsh glided Pollock.
It proved to be a costly error for Mumbai, who made a few changes to their bowling attack, with Marsh holding complete sway over the bowling that lacked sting barring Pollock.
Pomersbach, who played the ideal foil for his more attacking partner, was also given the benefit of doubt by third umpire Suresh Shastri after repeated viewings of TV replays when Pollock's pick-up and throw at the non-striker's end stumps seemed to have caught the batsman short of the crease.
The batsman was then on 17 in a total of 66/1 and went on to remain unbeaten after facing 50 balls and striking ten fours and three sixes.
The 100 of the Punjab innings was raised in 71 balls and Marsh continued to bat in the same attacking fashion, hitting his sixes mostly over the straight field, before he was caught in the deep by Pollock while trying to clear the ropes for the fifth time.
Young off-spinner Siddharth Chitnis, playing in the tournament after missing a few matches, also accounted for visiting team captain Yuvraj to claim 2/40 as the home team fought back a bit and seemed poised to restrict the visitors, who were 134/2 after 15 overs, below 180.
But the last over by Ashish Nehra, surprisingly bowling instead of Pollock who had one more over left in his quota, proved expensive as Pomersbach smashed him for two fours and six off consecutive balls to take the total one run below 190. |
