The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Maher, Binny are Hyderabad’s heroes

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Maher, Binny are Hyderabad’s heroes

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Jimmy Maher’s unbeaten 65 (59 balls, 7 x 4), his maiden half-century in Twenty20, and Stuart Binny’s blitzkrieg (44 not out, 19b, 5 x 4, 2 x 6) fashioned Hyderabad Heroes’ four-wicket win over Kolkata Tigers in the Edelweiss 20s Challenge at the Lal Bahadur Stadium on Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 166 in 20 overs, Hyderabad was struggling at 90 for five in 12 overs with the big-hitting Justin Kemp (28, 18b, 5 x 4) providing the lone sparkle at the top.

And when captain Chris Harris (1) pulled slow bowler Upul Chandana straight to deep square-leg in the 14th over (95 for six), the host was staring at a defeat.

Stunning blows

But Binny, with a positive frame of mind, surprised the rival camp with some stunning blows in the company of ‘Man of the Match’ Maher.

The two put on 73 runs for the seventh wicket with Maher content on appreciating the youngster picking the gaps with some lusty hits.

And quite fittingly, it was Binny’s six off Andre Adams over long-on which sealed the fate of Tigers and triggered off celebrations.

It was the home team’s second win in three matches.

Klusener scintillates

Earlier, the hard-hitting Lance Klusener finally got into the act (73, 42b, 7 x 4, 5 x 6) to help Tigers post a competitive score.

Opener Klusener, who revelled with his famous stroke-play on either side of the wicket, saw to that the first 50 came in 4.3 overs.

The ease with which he treated the Heroes’ bowling attack, comprising Razzaq, Syed Shahabuddin and Kemp, was seen to be believed. Whenever he launched into those extravagant big hits into the stands, the goodly crowd enjoyed it.

No support

Even as Klusener was going after the bowling, he found little support from the other end.

With the exception of Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (24, 22b, 2 x 4), no other batsman really threatened to take the attack apart.

Adams’s breezy 27 (20b, 1 x 6, 1 x 4) propped up Tigers’ score.

Harris bowled a wonderful spell in the slog overs to finish with two for 16 from three overs and the other wicket-taker was Justin Kemp (two for 29) and Nicky Boje.

The scores: Kolkata Tigers 165 for five in 20 overs (Lance Klusener 73, Justin Kemp two for 29, Chris Harris two for 16) lost to Hyderabad Heroes 168 for six in 19.2 overs (Jimmy Maher 65 not out, Stuart Binny 44 not out, Sujay Tarafdar two for 37, Nantie Hayward two for 27).

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