Challengers beat Knight Riders in rain-hit match

BANGALORE, India - West Indies opener Chris Gayle smashed 34 in his first 10 balls to set up Royal Challengers Bangalore’s four-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in a rain-affected Indian Premier League match on Saturday.

By (AP)

• Follow us on
• 
• 
• 

Published: Sat 14 May 2011, 4:14 PM

Last updated: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 7:30 AM

The left-hander, who was out for 38, hit four boundaries in Brett Lee’s opening over and smashed Jaidev Unadkat for two straight sixes and a four in the next over.

Royal Challengers chased down the revised Duckworth/Lewis target of 102 with three balls to spare, finishing at 105-6 in 12.3 overs.

The match was reduced to 13 overs after rain temporarily suspended play with Knight Riders — who lost the toss — on 69-3 after 11 overs, having recovered from 30-3.

Yusuf Pathan hit 36 to guide Knight Riders to 89-4 in 13 overs.

It was Royal Challengers’ seventh straight victory and they moved to the top of the IPL table with 17 points, although that could quickly change with Mumbai Indians (16 points) playing Deccan Chargers later Saturday.

Knight Riders remain in fourth place with 14 points, still in contention for the four-team play-offs.

Knight Riders’ top-order started its collapse when Indian pacer Zaheer Khan had England’s Eoin Morgan caught at square leg for two runs. South African Charl Langeveldt dismissed Jacques Kallis — caught behind for 17 — and pacer Sreenath Aravind had Gautam Gambhir caught at point for seven.

Pathan hit three sixes and two fours before being caught by Abhimanyu Mithun off Langeveldt in the last over.

Gayle, who hit a match-winning century in the season’s first meeting between the teams, fell to Lee after top-edging an attempted slog to Kallis at mid-wicket.

Kallis subsequently dismissed Luke Pomersbach for 16 and skipper Virat Kohli for 15.

South African AB de Villiers remained undefeated on 13 to guide Royal Challengers to victory despite the team losing Mohammad Kaif (15), Arun Karthik (1) and Saurabh Tiwary (1) in the space of 11 balls in a tight finish.

Score:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 105-6 in 12.3 overs (Chris Gayle 38, Jacques Kallis 2-16) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 89-4 in 13 overs (Yusuf Pathan 36, Charl Langeveldt 2-10). Target revised to 102 under Duckworth/Lewis method.