Kings XI post challenging 155/9 against KKR

Pune, April 18 (IANS) Skipper George Bailey played a lone hand as Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) posted a formidable 155/9 despite a late order collapse against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the MCA International stadium here on Saturday.

Bailey muscled his way to 60 off 45 balls (5×4, 2×6) but lacked support from the other end. Their second highest scorer was Glenn Maxwell (33; 26 b, 2×4, 2×6). KKR bowlers chipped in wickets at regular intervals, pegging the opponents just when they were trying to shift gears.

Set for a bigger score, the Kings lost their way in the death, losing four wickets and managing only 24 runs in the last 16 balls.

Umesh Yadav was the pick of the bowlers as he returned figures of 3/33. West Indian Andre Russell and South African pace spearhead Morne Morkel pocketed two each.

The Knights tasted first blood as early as in the fourth ball of the first over as right-arm seamer Yadav picked up Murali Vijay with the score reading 0/1.

Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha (15) soon followed Vijay after some heavy hitting as he smashed Yadav for a boundary and a six in his second over. Morkel then struck as Saha spooned one to Yusuf Pathan at wide slip.

All seemed to work for the visitors as the dangerous Virender Sehwag (11) went back, with Piyush Chawla holding on to a catch on the legside off an Andre Russell delivery. The Kings seemed tottering at 27/3 in 4.2 overs.

The Australian duo of Maxell and Bailey steadied the ship as the Kings reached 77/3 at the half way mark. Maxwell, however, was given a let-off on 13 by Yusuf Pathan, who dropped a sitter in the deep.

They put on a 63-run partnership courtesy some lusty hitting, Maxwell was the aggressor as he clobbered Morkel for 11 in his third over. However, he fell trying to hit Yadav over cover and was held out in the deep, courtesy a good running catch by Russell.

Thisara Perera started on a promising note as he clubbed one into the stands bringing up the hundred in the 14th over. Russell’s next delivery, a pacy one, zipped past wicket-keeper Robin Uthappa and into the ropes after he failed to gather it.

Russell, however, got his revenge as Perera skied one to Manish Pandey at point in the last ball of the over after scoring only nine.

The 17th over of the innings saw the Kings XI Punjab batters shifting gears as Chawla conceded 11 runs, inclusive of two sixes.

However, Gurkeerat Singh (11) could not carry forward the momentum in the next over as he was caught at long on off a Umesh delivery. But Bailey spanked Umesh for back-to-back boundaries to clinch 11 runs of the over.

The penultimate over from KKR’s West Indian spin king Sunil Narine was again top-class as he gave away just six runs and picked up the wicket of all-rounder Axar Patel returning with figures of 4/17. it was the West Indies offie’s first wicket in the tournament this year.

Bailey clinched the orange cap in the last over as he clubbed the second ball for a six with Ryan ten Doeschate tipping it over the boundary line.

Bailey was run out the next ball and then Johnson was caught at point to end the innings at 155/9.