PUNE, India, CMC – Leading West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder had little impact with the bat and virtually none with the ball, but his Lucknow Super Giants still came away with a 20-run win over Punjab Kings here yesterday.
Sent in at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Super Giants only mustered 153 for eight off their 20 overs. Quinton de Kock top-scored with 46 off 37 deliveries and Deepak Hooda chipped in with 34 from 28 balls.
Holder lashed a single six in scoring 11, after entering in the 15th over. South African seamer Kagiso Rabada was outstanding, claiming four for 38 from his four overs.
In reply, Kings were limited to 133 for eight from their 20 overs, with Englishman Jonny Bairstow (32), opener Mayank Agarwal (25) and Rishi Dhawan (21 not out) all getting starts but failing to carry on.
Left-arm seamer Mohsin Khan did the damage with three for 24 while Krunal Pandya (2-11) and Dushmantha Chameera (2-17) produced stingy spells to help cripple the run chase.
With the win, Super Giants moved into third place on 12 points, alongside Rajasthan Royals who are second by virtue of a super run rate, with Gujarat Lions top on 14 points.
The defeat for Kings left them seventh on eight points.
Captain KL Rahul fell cheaply for six with 13 on the board in the third over but de Kock and Hooda combined in an 85-run, second wicket stand to turn the Super Giants innings around.
Once they were separated, however, the innings went into decline as wickets fell steadily, with Holder seventh out in the 18th over, holing out to deep cover off leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (2-30).
What should have been a straightforward run chase quickly became messy once a 35-run, opening stand between Agarwal and Shikhar Dhawan (5) was broken.
Runs proved hard to come by and not even a 30-run, fourth-wicket stand between Bairstow and fellow countryman Liam Livingstone (18) could revive the innings.
