Ganguly powers KKR home

Kolkata stay alive in the race for a semifinal spot with a 14-run win

Cheered on by a packed Eden Gardens crowd, the home side defended their total of 181 for three with gusto, restricting the Daredevils to 167 for eight for their fifth win in 10 matches.

The 99-run stand between Virender Sehwag (64) and Gautam Gambhir (47) was the bedrock of Daredevils’ chase, which wilted 14 runs short of their opponents’ total.
Earlier, Ganguly (56 off 46 balls) and Chris Gayle (40 off 21 balls) milked 94 runs to give the home side a perfect start before the Daredevils bowlers put a brake on the run rate.

Down the order, Angelo Mathews (46 off 28) and Manoj Tiwary (26) starred in a 70-run unbeaten stand in the final seven overs to help the Knight Riders post a good total.
The Daredevils wobbled early in their chase as Ashok Dinda, breathing fire, castled the explosive David Warner for a duck. Neither Sehwag nor Gambhir looked quite at ease initially but they were soon in their elements.

Sehwag’s cause was also helped by the two lives he got on 35 and 47 with Iqbal Abdulla and Wriddhiman Saha dropping him. Ajantha Mendis was the bowler to suffer on both occasions.

Gambhir singled out Mathews for special treatment, while Sehwag treated everyone with equal disdain. The duo had added 99 runs when Ganguly’s direct throw ended Gambhir’s 29-ball stay.

Mendis removed Paul Collingwood (2) soon but Sehwag kept dealing in fours and sixes before dragging an Ajit Agarkar delivery onto his stumps in the 15th over. Ganguly was in thick of action, taking two catches and ringing in bowling changes which clicked at the right time.

Having opted to bat first, Ganguly had done superbly earlie to help Knight Riders reach 181 for three.

Ganguly hit eight fours and one six in his 56 and put on 94 runs for the opening wicket with Gayle. Gambhir’s gamble of beginning the proceedings with Vettori backfired as Ganguly plundered the left-arm spinner for 15 runs. Dishing out some fine shots, Ganguly hit three fours in Vettori’s first over and Gambhir had to take the New Zealander out of the attack.

But the opening duo did not look in any trouble at tall and kept on beating the field with Ganguly taking the charge, while Gayle opted to show some restraint. Gayle exploded in Amit Mishra’s second over as he walloped one six and two boundaries. Just when he was beginning to look dangerous, Bhatia deceived Gayle with a slower one that knocked back the off-stump.

Ganguly, meanwhile, carved out his sixth IPL half-century with Knight Riders getting to the 100-mark by 11th over. But the Daredevils hit back with some fine bowling and fielding before Mathews and Tiwari took the hosts to a good total.

Score Board

Kolkata Knight Riders: Sourav Ganguly b Vettori 56; Chris Gayle b Bhatia 40; Brendon McCullum (run out) 6; Manoj Tiwary (not out) 26; Angelo Mathews (not out) 46. Extras (LB-1, W-6) 7; Total (for three wickets in 20 overs) 181.
Fall of wickets: 1-94, 2-104, 3-111.
Bowling: Mahroof 3-0-30-0, Daniel Vettori 4-0-30-1, Pradeep Sangwan 3-0-30-0, Amit Mishra 4-0-41-0, Paul Collingwood 2-0-19-0, Bhatia 4-0-30-1.

Delhi Daredevils: David Warner b Dinda 0; Virender Sehwag b Agarkar 64; Gautam Gambhir (run out) 47; Paul Collingwood c Mathews b Mendis 2; Dinesh Kaarthick c McCullum b Dinda 20; Kedar Jadhav c Ganguly b Mendis 5; Fervez Maharoof b Abdulla 2; Rajat Bhatia (run out) 2; Daniel Vettori (not out) 12; Amit Mishra (not out) 4; Extras (B-1, LB-4, W-4) 9. Total (for 8 wickets in 20 overs) 167.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-99, 3-103, 4-134, 5-144, 6-147, 7-149, 8-152.
Bowling: Ashok Dinda 4-0-21-2; Ajit Agarkar 4-0-36-1; Angelo Mathews 3-0-43-0; Ajantha Mendis 4-0-22-2; Sourav Ganguly 1-0-12-0; Iqbal Abdulla 4-0-28-1.