Uthappa scripts RB win over KKR

Royal Challengers Bangalore claim second spot on the league table with easy win over the Kolkata Knight Riders



Match Report: Match-43: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bangalore, 11th April 2010.

Bangalore, April 10: Rahul Dravid (52 off 35 balls) and the explosive Robin Uthappa (52 not out off 22 balls, 3x4, 5x6) powered the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 43 of IPL 2010 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday night.

Robin Uthappa blazed away to a glorious half-century as Royal Challengers Bangalore made 164/3 in just 17.1 overs in reply to Kolkata Knight Riders’s 160/9. Man of the match Vinay Kumar also bowled a superb line and length to scalp 3/23 for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

By virtue of their sixth win from 11 matches, Royal Challengers Bangalore jumped to the second spot with 12 points, two points behind with Mumbai Indians. Kolkata Knight Riders slumped to their sixth defeat and are now placed sixth on the leader board with 10 points. The race for the four semi-final spots is truly on and hotting up now!!

Orange Cup holder Jacques Kallis’ run-streak was finally halted but not before the South African became the first batsman to score 500 runs in this the third edition of the IPL. Kallis (8), who was dropped at 2 by Sourav Ganguly at mid-off, played 11 deliveries before edging Ashok Dinda to Chris Gayle at slip. But left-handed opener Sridharan Sriram and Rahul Dravid overcame the early jitters to be involved in a 72-run stand in 8.5 overs. Sriram had a reprieve when Ajit Agarkar grassed a sitter at deep square-leg off Angelo Mathews. But Sriram could not capitalise on that chance and became Dinda’s second victim for 27 (29 balls).

From then on, Dravid flourished and scored a 35-ball 52 (5x4, 2x6). But his superb innings was cut short by an Angelo Mathews’ slower delivery. Robin Uthappa and Ross Taylor took over from there and went on to plunder 62 runs in 3.5 overs to seal the match in favour of the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Lankan spin king Ajantha Mendis was hit for three sixes and one four by Uthappa and Taylor in the 16th over to hasten Kolkata Knight Riders’ end. Sloppy fielding and poor bowling also did not help Kolkata Knight Riders’ cause. Ishant Sharma and Ajantha Mendis were hammered for 46 runs each.

Earlier, West Indies opener Chris Gayle showed some phenomenal form with the bat, as the lanky left-hander rattled up a 15-ball 34. He walloped one six and two fours in Praveen Kumar’s third over, where the swing bowler conceded 21 runs. Kolkata Knight Riders raised 50 in 4.4 overs but lost their first wicket at 52. Veteran Kallis stopped Gayle as the batsman holed out to Rahul Dravid at extra over. Brendon McCullum made a sober start before opening out against left-arm spinner Sridharan Sriram in the 11th over. The Kiwi batsman hit the bowler for three fours and one six as Kolkata Knight Riders brought up the 100 of the innings in 10.5 overs.

From there on it was all downhill for Kolkata as Vinay Kumar, brought in the 12th over, tasted success in the very first over. The medium pacer had skipper Sourav Ganguly (33 off 32 balls; 2x4, 2x6) cramped and the left-hander gave a catch to the square-leg fielder. Kallis struck in the next over. The South African all-rounder captured his second wicket when he removed Manoj Tiwary for nought. The batsman was surprised by a sharp short-pitched delivery and his top edge was held at backward point. Vinay Kumar deceived Angelo Mathews (0) with a slower bouncer as Kolkata Knight Riders were 105/4 in 13.1 overs.

Anil Kumble, who bowled with a lot of variation and guile, dismissed the dangerous McCullum (45 off 36 balls; 5x4, 2x6) in his fourth and final over and Kolkata Knight Riders were 137/6 with the removal of Wridhaman Saha (13) by Dale Steyn. Cheteshwar Pujara hit two sixes of Kallis in the 19th over but two run outs (Pujara and Ashok Dinda) saw the Royal Challengers Bangalore restricting Kolkata Knight Riders to 160/9 in their 20 overs. Vinay Kumar bowled splendidly to return with figures of 3/23 in three overs while the aggressive Kumble was on the spot.

Kolkata Knight Riders made one change. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma came back into the team replacing left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla. The Royal Challengers Banglaore played Tamil Nadu Ranji opener Sridharan Sriram in place of Manish Pandey.