Kings XI Punjab won by 2 runs

IPL2012

MATCH: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS VS KINGS XI PUNJAB

TOSS: Kolkata won the toss, and elected to field

MOM: Sunil Narine

RESULT: Punjab won by 2 runs

Chasing a target of 135 on a tricky Eden pitch, KKR needed nine runs off the final over but medium pacer Harmeet gave away only six runs. Debabrata Das, who played a lovely cameo (35, 23 balls, 3x4, 1x6), failed to hit a boundary off the final delivery as home team ended on 132 as Kings XI won their second match of the tourney.

Debabrata, who played for KKR in first edition of IPL before being dumped during three subsequent seasons almost took his team to victory with some lusty blows after they were down in the dumps at 88 for six.

Along with Harmeet, India seamer Praveen Kumar bowled a brilliant penultimate over where only four runs were scored. Also spinners Piyush Chawla (3/18) and Bhargav Bhatt (2/22) should be lauded for sharing five wickets for only 42 runs in the eight overs bowled by them.

It was pity that KKR offie Sunil Narine's brilliant figures of five for 19 were undone by some indiscreet shot making on the part of home team batsmen -- especially Manvinder Bisla and Yusuf Pathan.

On a track, where the spinners are getting fair amount of assistance, a target of 135 was always going to be difficult. While Jacques Kallis (1) was gone early -- thanks to a brilliant catch by Paras Dogra, skipper Gautam Gambhir hit a flurry of boundaries on his way 22 before he offered a tame return catch to Dimitri Mascarenhas.

At 30 for two, in-form Bisla (27, 25 balls, 1x4, 1x6) and Manoj Tiwary (20, 27 balls, 1x4) added 43 runs for the third wicket and it looked KKR will coast home easily. However left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt angled one into Tiwary who was caught plumb in-front as KKR were 73 for three. Within another six runs, it was Bisla who played all over a Piyush Chawla delivery to be bowled.

Pathan tried a paddle sweep but the ball jumped off his pad straps to clip the bails. KKR went further down in the dumps as Shakib Al Hasan lobbed an easy catch to Gilchrist off Chawla's bowling as home team stuttered at 88 for six.

Earlier, Narine foxed Kings XI Punjab with a brilliant five-for that helped KKR restrict the visitors to 134 for nine in stipulated 20 overs. Put into bat, Kings XI batsmen failed to read Narine's deliveries as the Trinidad spinner had figures of 4-0-19-5 to show for his efforts which also proved why KKR bought him for a handosme price of $700,000.

The Trinidad spinner after being introduced in the third over took two prized scalps of Adam Gilchrist (5) and an in-form Shaun Marsh (1) in two overs to dent the Kings XI progress.

Gilchrist along with his new opening partner Mandeep Singh started positively with the duo racing to 14 for no loss in two overs but Narine's spell (2-0-5-2) cost them dear as they were reduced to 21/2 in 4.2 overs.  Gilchrist tried to hit Narine across the line only to balloon it up as Manoj Tiwary at the short cover took an easy catch.

Narine then breached through Shaun Marsh's defence with a beauty that straightened after pitching. The two dismissals meant that the Kings XI progressed at snail's pace before Mandeep Singh launched into Jaidev Unadkat handing him some rough treatment.

Kallis did a fine job, rather quietly, at the other end, conceding 11 from his three overs to further unsettle the visitors plan.  In between, Rajat Bhatia did an excellent job with his slow medium pace returning with two for 14 in the slog overs as the Kings XI boys struggled to find a partnership going.

Kings XI Punjab held their nerve in the slog overs to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to 132/7 and clinched a thrilling two runs victory in their match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

In another IPL match went down to the wire as Kolkata needed 9 runs to win in the last over but fell two runs short of their target.

Piyush Chawla bowled the magical spell as he dismissed Manvinder Bisla, Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan in quick succession to dent Knight Riders chase.

Debabrata Das, who remained unbeaten on 35 off 23 balls, led the Knight Riders fight back after they lost their six wickets inside 90 runs side. But the batsman effort was not enough to take Kolkata to their consecutive victory.

Kings XI Punjab's Bhargav Bhatt and Dimitri Mascarenhas struck to remove Jacques Kallis and Gautam Gambhir respectively and give Kolkata early blows.

Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders produced stunning bowling display, led by Sunil Narine's five-wicket haul, to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 134/9 in 20 overs. It was their tail-enders who gave the team a competitive total in their last overs.

Sunil Narine claimed five wickets for 19 runs to pile misery on Kings XI and outplayed the opposition's batting. Kings XI Punjab was never in match as they lost their wickets at regular intervals.

Mandeep and David Hussey revived Kings XI Punjab innings as they added 52 runs for the 3rd wicket after losing two early wickets.

Punjab suffered a big blow as they lost David Hussey when the batsman got run-out in the mix-up with Paras Dogra.

Mandeep Singh mistimed his slog-sweep off Shakib Al Hasan after playing useful knock of 38 runs.

Kolkata Knight Riders' spinner Sunil Narine gave Kings XI Punjab early jolts. Narine struck in his successive overs to remove Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh cheaply as Kings XI Punjab were struggling at 21/2 4.2 overs.

Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist continued his poor run in the tournament as he just managed to score 5 off 9 balls. Earlier, Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir won the toss and decide to bowl against Kings XI.