Auckland Aces came agonisingly close but saw victory slip through its fingers.
Needing four to win off the last ball, a single was all Kyle Mills could muster, as the Kiwi side capitulated by three runs in its Nokia Champions League Pool B qualifier against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Monday night.
Aces recouped through Lou Vincent's belligerent 40 after losing its first wicket for no score. Greeting Iqbal Abdulla with a lofted golf shot over long-on, he had some special treatment in store for Jaidev Unadkat. Feasting on three boundaries on the trot, the long-haired Aucklander drove the hapless left-arm mediumpacer out of the attack.
Beginning of the end
Vincent's departure, falling a hair's breadth short of the crease against a throw from Manoj Tiwary, signalled the beginning of the end for the New Zealand squad.
If KKR's four top order batsmen had perished with just five runs added, the chasing side didn't do too much better, losing as many wickets for 17.
Colin Munro's cart-wheeling off-stump off a Kallis thunderbolt found the last bastion of resistance crumble.
Andre Adams clattered the South African into the sight-screen but it couldn't quite avert the inevitable.
Earlier, as Knight Riders took first strike, Bisla helped himself to three boundaries off Chris Martin. At a healthy 38 without loss from five overs, KKR looked well launched.
Judicious as ever, Jacques Kallis's cover and off-drives were carefully chosen, the pace of his knock seeming a shade sedate against the adventurous blitz by Bisla. But when on 45, Bisla took an over-pitched offering from Michael Bates on the full, spooning a catch to Guptill in the covers. Bisla's rapidfire 45 had seven boundaries and a six.
Early exit
The air of anticipation when Yusuf Pathan walked in dissipated with his early exit, a huge heave ending in the deathly rattle behind him.
Another blow befell the Knight Riders when Kallis's cleanly struck hit off Mills was clutched a little acrobatically by Rob Quiney a few feet short of the mid-wicket fence. The fiery quick had another scalp in that over, bowling Tiwary neck and crop.
Two run outs ensued, effected by the Adams duo of Jimmy and Andre, to send back ten Doeschate and Shakib Al Hasan respectively.
By now, the rock-solid start by KKR seemed caught in quick sand, the lower order left to eke out the odd run or two.
The scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders: M. Bisla c Guptill b Bates 45 ( 32b, 7x4, 1x6 ), J. Kallis c Quiney b Mills 33 ( 35b, 4x4 ), Yusuf b Adams 12 ( 17b, 1x4 ), M. Tiwary b Mills 1 ( 3b ), R. ten Doeschate (run out) 3 ( 3b ), Shakib Al Hasan (run out) 4 ( 7b ), R. Bhatia (not out) 10 ( 16b ), S. Goswami (not out) 8 ( 7b ); Extras (lb-4, w-1): 5; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 121.
Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-93, 3-93, 4-95, 5-98, 6-106.
Auckland Aces bowling: Mills 4-0-24-2, Martin 4-0-27-0, Bates 4-0-13-1, Adams 4-0-22-1, Hira 4-0-31-0.
Auckland Aces: J. Adams c & b Yusuf 18 ( 19b, 2x4 ), M. Guptill (run out) 0 ( 0b ), L. Vincent (run out) 40 ( 37b, 6x4, 1x6 ), R. Quiney c & b Yusuf 0 (1b), G. Hopkins c Kallis b Bhatia 10 ( 10b, 1x4 ), C. Munro b Kallis 20 ( 29b, 1x4 ), K. Mills (not out) 19 ( 21b, 1x4 ), A. Adams (not out) 9 ( 4b, 1x6 ); Extras (b-1, w-1, nb-1): 3; Total (for six wkts. in 20 overs): 119.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-60, 3-60, 4-61, 5-77, 6-100.
Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Abdulla 4-0-20-0, Lee 4-0-27-0, Unadkat 1-0-14-0, Yusuf 4-0-21-2, Bhatia 4-0-14-1, Shakib 2-0-11-0, Kallis 1-0-11-1.
