Indian Premier League

IPL: Kings XI Punjab beat Kolkata Knight Riders

The Kings XI Punjab timed their run-chase to perfection to pip the Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets off the last ball in their DLF Indian Premier League match in Port Elizabeth.

The Kolkata Knight Riders batted cautiously in their first 10 overs, reaching the mid-innings break on 52-1. They almost doubled this tally in the second half of their innings, with Brad Hodge smashing an undefeated 70 to rise to third in the race for the Orange Cap for leading run-scorers in Season 2009 with a total of 230 runs. Brad Hodge now follows two players from the Chennai Super Kings – left hand opening batsmen Mathew Hayden who with 246 runs leads the Orange Cap standings, who is closely followed by his team-mate Suresh Raina with 232 runs. Hodge, whose 70 came off 43 balls, hit 10 fours and a six. With Sourav Ganguly (22 off 17 balls) and Morne van Wyk (18 off 12), he helped add 75 runs in the final six overs of the Kolkata Knight Riders innings.

The Kings XI Punjab opener Sunny Sohal (25 off 17 balls, three sixes) had two lives on two and another on 16, while Simon Katich (34 off 28 balls, three fours and a six) was dropped by Chris Gayle off a top-edged shot to third man when he had only five. In fact, it was this spell of poor fielding that helped Kings XI Punjab get to 50 by the sixth over. Pathan (19 not out off 16 balls) and man of the match Jayawardene (52 not out off 41 balls) added an unbroken 45 for the fifth wicket to edge the Kings XI Punjab past the Kolkata Knight Riders’ 153-3.

Things might have been a lot different though had the Kolkata Knight Riders, who’s only win in Season 2009 of the DLF IPL came against the Kings XI Punjab on April 21, not dropped four catches. The win lifted the Kings XI Punjab to second spot in the DLF Indian Premier League standings for Season 2009 in South Africa making them one of three teams level on eight points.

Tags: IPL, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, South Africa