MUMBAI, CMC – West Indies left-handed batting duo of Kyle Mayers and Nicholas Pooran teed off in a run fest that catapulted Lucknow Super Giants to a 56-run win against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League yesterday.
Mayers set the platform with 54 off 24 balls and Pooran provided a strong finish with 45 off 19 balls as LSG posted the highest total for the season of 257 for five from their allocation of 20 overs after being put into bat at the I.S. Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
Yash Thakur then took four for 37 from 3.5 overs and Naveen-ul-Haq supported with three for 30 from his allotted four overs to lead the LSG bowling, and the demolition of the Kings batting for 201 in 19.5 overs.
The win was the fifth in eight matches for LSG, propelling them to 10 points – one of four teams with that number – but their scoring rate in the match gave a significant boost to their net run rate and moved them into second behind Rajasthan Royals, and ahead of Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings.
The Kings were jolted early in the chase when their captain Shikhar Dhawan was caught at deep backward point off Marcus Stoinis for one in the first over, and Impact Player Prabhsimran Singh was caught deep backward square for nine off Naveen in the fourth over.
Atharva Taide, whose 66 off 36 balls was the top score, counter-attacked, including taking three fours off a single over from Avesh Khan, and the Kings ended the Power Play on 55 for two.
Taide and Zimbabwe international Sikandar Raza rebuilt the innings at a fair clip with a stand of 78 for the third wicket, and enabled the Kings to reach 93 for two at the halfway stage.
Raza made 36, but he was caught at deep point off Thakur, and Taide gave a return catch to Ravi Bishnoi from a top-edged slog sweep in successive overs to set back the Kings chase.
The required rate continued to climb and rose above 20, and though the rest of the Kings batting put up a valiant fight, it was always going to be an uphill battle to chase down the second highest total in IPL history. Earlier, Mayers went on the attack straight away, smashing India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for four fours in the second over.
He struck seven fours and four sixes in his knock before he was caught at mid-on off South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada with one ball remaining in the Power Play.
LSG ended the Power Play on 74 for two, but Australia international Marcus Stoinis with the top score of 72 off 40 balls, Pooran, and Ayush Badoni with 43 from 24 balls battered the Kings bowling into submission.
