Miller, Axar nail Tridents

The left-handers score 20 off the penultimate over

September 20, 2014 08:13 pm | Updated September 21, 2014 01:31 am IST - Mohali

Axar Patel emerged an unlikely batting hero for Kings XI Punjab as it spoilt Barbados Tridents’ party in the Champions League T20 encounter here on Saturday.

After a none-too-impressive bowling effort, the left-hander got everything right when he decided to employ the long handle as Kings scampered home by four wickets with two balls to spare.

Axar turned the fortunes of the host with a timely onslaught on West Indian paceman Ravi Rampaul in the penultimate over.

He smashed three boundaries and finished the over with a massive six to score 19 (of the 20 runs) in that game-changing over.

David Miller was the crisis man who kept encouraging Axar throughout their 19-ball 47-run stand and provided the finishing touch with a six.

Chasing a target of 175, Kings XI was cruising at one stage, thanks to opener Manan Vohra who got off to a flier. Later, Virender Sehwag kept the runs flowing in the company of Wriddhiman Saha and Glenn Maxwell.

However, Maxwell’s exit, followed by Sehwag, skipper George Bailey and Thisara Perera — all in the space of 36 runs — firmly tilted the scales in Tridents’ favour. It was Jeevan Mendis, the Lankan leg-spinner, who raised the Barbados side’s hopes by dismissing Sehwag and Bailey.

However, the left-handed combination of Miller and Patel came together at this stage and took the match away from Tridents.

Asked to bat, Tridents raced away to 54 without loss in five overs and stepped up the pace again in the last five that produced 49 runs.

The way opener Dilshan Munaweera dominated the PowerPlay and reached his half-century, Tridents appeared set for a total in excess of 180. But, that was before Maxwell and Perera took turns to slow down the run flow.

If Munaweera was instrumental in Tridents making a dream start, Raymon Reifer provided the stability right through the innings as well as the flourish in the slog overs.

Kings XI’s limited bowling resources may have stood exposed but the team’s batting depth came to the fore yet again.

Scorecard

Barbados Tridents : Dilshan Munaweera c Vohra b Awana 50 (26b, 5x4, 3x6), William Perkins lbw b Awana 10 (8b, 2x4), Raymon Reifer (not out) 60 (42b, 3x4, 4x6), Jonathan Carter c Miller b Anureet 20 (19b, 3x4), James Franklin c Awana b Perera 10 (8b, 1x4), Elton Chigumbura c Anureet b Perera 3 (5b), Jason Holder c Miller b Awana 12 (9b, 1x6), Ashley Nurse (not out) 8 (3b, 1x6); Extras (lb-1): 1; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 174.

Fall of wickets : 1-54 (Perkins), 2-61 (Munaweera), 3-106 (Carter), 4-124 (Franklin), 5-131 Chigumbura), 6-159 (Holder).

Kings XI Punjab bowling : Anureet Singh 4-0-32-1, Parvinder Awana 4-0-46-3, Axar Patel 4-0-42-0, Glenn Maxwell 3-0-22-0, Virender Sehwag 1-0-10-0, Karanveer Singh 1-0-6-0, Thisara Perera 3-0-15-2.

Kings XI Punjab : Virender Sehwag lbw b Mendis 31 (25b, 3x4, 1x6), Manan Vohra c Carter b Rampaul 27 (19b, 3x4, 1x6), Wriddhiman Saha c Munaweera b Franklin 14 (13b, 1x4), Glenn Maxwell c Nurse b Rampaul 16 (8b, 3x4), David Miller (not out) 46 (34b, 3x4, 2x6), George Bailey c Franklin b Mendis 7 (11b), Thisara Perera c Carter b Nurse 0 (1b), Axar Patel (not out) 23 (9b, 3x4, 1x6); Extras (b-4, lb-2, nb-2, w-6): 14; Total (for six wkts. in 19.4 overs): 178.

Fall of wickets : 1-41 (Vohra), 2-76 (Saha), 3-95 (Maxwell), 4-103 (Sehwag), 5-127 (Bailey), 6-131 (Perera).

Barbados Tridents bowling : Jason Holder 3.4-0-38-0, Ravi Rampaul 4-0-50-2, Rayad Emrit 2-0-17-0, James Franklin 2-0-17-1, Jeevan Mendis 4-0-18-2, Ashley Nurse 4-0-32-1.

Toss : Kings XI.

Man-of-the-match : Miller.

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