Date:30/04/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/04/30/stories/2009043061311700.htm

Sport - Cricket

Kings XI clinches a humdinger

IPL / Beats Mumbai Indians by three runs

— Photo: AP

CELEBRATION TIME: Kings XI Punjab players are cock-a-hoop after the team won a low-scoring encounter against Mumbai Indians.

Durban: Defending 119 with resolve, Kings XI Punjab clinched a low-scoring humdinger against Mumbai Indians by three runs in their IPL encounter at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

In a thrilling finish, Mumbai Indians required 19 off the last two overs with five wickets in hand. Kings XI took a gamble by giving the ball to Piyush Chawla. The leg-spinner removed the dangerous Harbhajan Singh — held at the widish long-off fence — with his first delivery.

Mumbai Indians needed 12 off the final over bowled by left-arm paceman Yusuf Abdulla. A battling Jean-Paul Duminy (59, 63b, 4x4) was picked up at the mid-wicket fence off the fourth ball. The batting side, requiring seven from the last two balls, managed just three.

Kings XI has six points from five matches and Mumbai Indians five from five. Left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan surprised Sanath Jayasuriya (0) with extra bounce in the corridor; Yuvraj held a blinder at slip. Sachin Tendulkar (1) was caught at point off paceman Vikramjeet Malik.

The left-handed Shikhar Dhawan (3) was done in by one swinging into him by the nippy Yusuf Abdulla.

Mumbai Indians was three for 12 in the fifth over.

Dwayne Bravo (15), who pulled and lofted leg-spinner Piyush Chawla for a boundary and a six, succumbed to off-spinner Ramesh Powar’s flight and dip; he was well held at long-on by Wilkin Mota.

Then, Duminy and Abhishek Nayar batted sensibly to take the score from 45 for four in the 10th to 94 in the 18th when Irfan castled Nayar in an important strike.

Earlier, a fighting innings of 45 not out (44b, 2x4, 1x6) by the left-handed Kumar Sangakkara, named Man of the Match, enabled Kings XI finish at 119 for eight in 20 overs.

The side had opted to bat.

Sangakkara mixed solidity with pleasing strokeplay.

He drove Harbhajan between long-off and cover, stepped down to strike Duminy over his head for a six and whipped Bravo to the mid-wicket fence.

However, wickets continued to fall at the other end.

SCOREBOARD

Kings XI Punjab: R. Bopara c Tendulkar b Bravo 6, K. Goel st Shah b Harbhajan 12, K. Sangakkara (not out) 45, Yuvraj c Zaheer b Duminy 10, M. Jayawardene c Dhawan b Jayasuriya 7, Irfan c Bravo b Zaheer 7, W. Mota b Malinga 5, P. Chawla b Malinga 0, R. Powar (run out) 10; Extras: (b-4, lb-2, w-11) 17; Total: (for 8 wickets, in 20 overs) 119.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-18, 3-41, 4-52, 5-84, 6-97, 7-97, 8-119.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Zaheer 4-0-19-1; Malinga 4-0-12-2; Harbhajan 4-0-23-1; Bravo 3-0-24-1; Duminy 3-0-23-1; Tendulkar 1-0-7-0; Jayasuriya 1-0-5-1.

Mumbai Indians: S. Jayasuriya c Yuvraj b Pathan 0, S. Tendulkar c Jayawardene b Malik 1, S. Dhawan lbw b Abdulla 3, J.P. Duminy c sub b Abdulla 59, D. Bravo c Mota b Powar 15, A. Nayar b Irfan 15, Harbhajan c Goel b Chawla 6, S. Tiwary (not out) 6, Zaheer (not out) 0; Extras: (b-1, lb-1, w-8, nb-1) 11; Total: (for 7 wickets, in 20 overs) 116.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-4, 3-12, 4-45, 5-94, 6-101, 7-113.

Kings XI Punjab bowling: Irfan 4-0-20-2; Malik 2-0-12-1; Powar 4-0-23-1; Abdulla 4-0-19-2; Chawla 3-0-26-1; Goel 2-0-11-0; Mota 1-0-3-0.