Lions humbled by RCB

Pietersen, Uthappa help Royal Challengers Bangalore crush Kings XI Punjab

Match Report: Match-31: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab at PCA Stadium, Mohali, 2nd April, 2010

Mohali, April 2: The aggressive Kevin Pietersen produced a match-winning 66 (44 balls, 7x4, 1x6) to guide the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a six-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab in match 31 of IPL 2010 at PCA Stadium here on Friday night.

Royal Challengers Bangalore chased 182 runs in 19.1 overs to end there two match losing streak and register their fifth win to move back into the second position on the leader board. It was yet another defeat for the bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab led by Kumar Sangakkara who have now lost their seventh match and are placed at the bottom of the table.

Defending a good total of 181, Kings XI Punjab began on a right note when Jacques Kallis (9), the Orange Cup holder, fell for an extravagant shot off left-arm seamer Shalabh Srivastava in the fifth over. The resultant edge was taken by the wicketkeeper in the fifth over. It became 55/2 with young Manish Pandey getting run out for 29 (25 balls).

But Pietersen regaled the crowd with a stroke-filled knock. The Englishman and Virat Kohli sent the Kings XI Punjab bowlers on a leather hunt. Kohli, overlooked for the upcoming World T20 championship, batted with gay abandon for his 26-ball 42 (4x4, 1x6) and was involved in a 76-run stand with Pietersen for the third wicket to set up the win for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Robin Uthappa provided the late flourish as he hit an eight-ball 22 (1x4, 2x6) and shared an enterprising stand of 40 runs in 2.3 overs. Uthappa was out in the 18th over and Royal Challengers Bangalore were just 12 runs away from victory target.

Kings XI Punjab bowlers disappointed again as they just seemed to lack the sting. Australian Brett Lee proved costly. Skipper Kumar Sangakkara used as many as seven bowlers but all in vain.

Earlier Kings XI Punjab elected to bat but Australian left-handed opener Shaun Marsh, who scored an impressive half-century against Mumbai Indians, perished in the second over. Marsh was beaten by Vinay Kumar’s pace and Rahul Dravid took the edge cleanly at slip.

Manvinder Bisla (28), who opened the innings, was shackled by the Royal Challengers Bangalore attack. He fell while trying a `Dilscoop’ off Anil Kumble and was bowled. For the first time in the tournament skipper Kumar Sangakkara played some pleasing shots. The left-hander struck eight fours in his 27-ball 45 before he pulled the South African paceman Dale Steyn straight into Jacques Kallis’ hand at deep square leg.

Yuvraj Singh, who has been in the news for all the wrong news, too sparkled with the willow. The left-hander hit a 20-ball 36, including three fours and two sixes. Kallis cut short Yuvraj’s innings by having him caught at deep mid-wicket off a pull shot in the 18th over. Yuvraj added 65 runs in 6.3 overs with Ravi Bopara for the fourth wicket. The English opener, selected for the West Indies World Twenty20 Championship, made a splendid 42 not out (33 balls). Ravi Bopara and Irfan Pathan (16 off 5 balls) in fact, went berserk by hitting 31 runs in 2.1 overs. Pathan was run out with one ball to spare.

Praveen Kumar was struck for 18 runs in his final over. Kings XI Punjab made 181/5. Kallis was the most expensive bowler, conceding 45 runs in his four overs.

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