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Kings XI’s march continues

Rakesh Rao

Irfan Pathan stars with an all-round performance

— Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

Sangakkara played a key role in his team’s victory.

MOHALI: Continuing its success story, Kings XI Punjab tightened the screws on Kolkata Knight Riders to script a nine-run victory in the DLF Indian Premier League at the PCA Stadium here on Saturday.

After setting a challenging target of 179, Punjab reduced Kolkata to 29 for four in five overs and eventually won its fourth game on the trot despite David Hussey’s desperate bid to salvage some pride for Kolkata. This was Kolkata’s fourth successive loss.

If Kolkata managed to reach 169 for six in 20 overs, it was mainly due to Hussey’s 46-ball 71, including four sixes and four boundaries.

In the company of Prasanta Saha, who caught the eye with an unbeaten 59 off 32 balls, studded with four sixes and two fours, Hussey added 104 runs for the sixth wicket. The stand was instrumental in bringing down Punjab’s margin of victory.

It was Irfan Pathan who made the difference to the fortunes of Punjab. After scoring a timely, unbeaten 24 off 26 deliveries late in Punjab’s innings, he had a hand in the first three dismissals that set the tone for his team’s victory. He took a catch in the deep to send back Sourav Ganguly and then accounted for opener Mohammad Hafeez and Brad Hodge.

Desperate charge

Earlier, a desperate charge from the lower-middle order helped Kings XI Punjab set a challenging target. The host, from 82 for one at one stage, lost its way somewhat in the middle overs. Yuvraj Singh, Marsh, Mahela Jayawardene and Karan Goel departed in the space of 24 runs and 4.3 overs.

Thereafter, Irfan Pathan and Sangakkara raised 49 runs for the sixth wicket to resurrect Punjab’s fortunes. The icing on the cake came from Piyush Chawla who smashed 4, 4, 2, 4, 6 off the last five deliveries bowled by Ishant Sharma.

Sangakkara, who had retired when on 10 with the score at 49 for one after six overs, returned to the middle at 106 for five and denied Kolkata any more success until the 19th over. He hit five boundaries and more importantly, did not allow the Kolkata bowlers to have a go at the Punjab tail.

Earlier, batting by choice, Punjab got off to a brisk start with Marsh and fellow-Australian James Hopes scoring 28 runs in under four overs.

Hopes, included in place of an off-form Ramnaresh Sarwan, smashed two successive boundaries off Ajit Agarkar’s first over and then hit one each off Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda but fell in trying to repeat the treatment to the latter.

Yuvraj joined a steady Marsh but departed just when he looked like taking Mohammad Hafeez to the cleaners. After hitting a six and two boundaries in succession off Hafeez, Yuvraj was stumped, a mode of dismissal that later accounted for Marsh. As long as Marsh lasted, he gave no respite to the Kolkata bowlers. He continued with the form he showed against Deccan Chargers on Thursday.

The scores:

Kings XI Punjab: S. Marsh st. Saha b Hussey 40, J. Hopes c Hodge b Dinda 18, K. Sangakkara b Gul 28, Yuvraj st. Saha b Hafeez 17, M. Jayawardene c Ganguly b Gul 10, K. Goel (run out) 6, I. Pathan (not out) 24, P. Chawla (not out) 21; Extras (b-4, lb-5, nb-1, w-4): 14; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 178.

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-82, 3-98, 4-102, 5-106, 6-155.

Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Ishant 4-0-41-0, Agarkar 3-0-26-0, Dinda 3-0-24-1, Hafeez 3-0-28-1, Hussey 3-0-23-1, Gul 4-0-27-2.

Kolkata Knight Riders: M. Hafeez b Pathan 13, S. Ganguly c Pathan b Sreesanth 5, D. Das c Yuvraj b Sreesanth 5, B. Hodge lbw b Pathan 1, D. Hussey c Hopes b Gagandeep 71, L. Shukla b V.R.V. Singh 7, P. Saha (not out) 59, A. Agarkar (not out) 1; Extras (b-1, w-6): 7; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 169.

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-23, 3-25, 4-29, 5-50, 6-154.

Kings XI Punjab bowling: Sreesanth 4-0-25-2, Pathan 4-0-18-2, V.R.V. Singh 4-0-31-1, Gagandeep 4-0-43-1, Hopes 3-0-35-0, Chawla 1-0-16-0.

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