MUMBAI, India, CMC – Leading West Indies all-rounder, Jason Holder, grabbed two wickets but then failed to get Lucknow Super Giants over the line with a last ditch effort, leaving Royal Challengers Bangalore to march to an 18-run victory and within touching distance of the summit of the Indian Premier League standings here yesterday.
Sent in at the DY Patil Sports Academy, RCB piled up 181 for six with captain Faf du Plessis top-scoring with 96 off 64 balls.
He came to his side’s rescue with the innings in chaos at seven for two in the first over, lashing 11 fours and two sixes in adding 37 for the third wicket with Australian Glenn Maxwell (23), 70 for the fifth wicket with Shahbaz Ahmed (26) and a further 49 for the sixth with Dinesh Karthik (13 not out).
It was Holder (2-25) who accounted for du Plessis off the penultimate delivery of the innings, holing out to deep square with triple figures beckoning.
In reply, Krunal Pandya hit 42 from 28 deliveries and captain KL Rahul scored 30 from 24 balls at the top of the order but Super Giants lacked that big innings and suffered in the end.
Rahul anchored the top order, putting on 31 for the third wicket with Pandya and 36 for the fourth wicket with Deepak Hooda (24), but wickets tumbled regularly as Australia speedster Josh Hazlewood ripped through the innings with four for 25 from his four overs.
By the time Holder (16) arrived at the crease, Super Giants were flailing at 135 for six in the 17th over, still requiring 41 from 20 deliveries, but runs proved hard to come by.
They needed 31 at the start of the final over from seamer Mohammed Siraj and Holder thumped a couple of sixes before top-edging to fine leg with a single delivery left in the contest.
RCB lie second on ten points and only behind leaders Gujarat Lions due to an inferior net run rate while Super Giants are two points back in fourth.
