Openers, Gambhir star in Kolkata's victory

Skipper Gautam Gambhir and all-rounder Jacques Kallis hit classy fifties to keep their side’s hopes of making it to the semi-finals of Champions League alive by helping their team to the first win of the tournament. The duo assisted the side’s surge to a huge target of 170 set by the home team Bangalore without any stutters after Brad Haddin who hit a sublime 42, had given them a rollicking start. The duo added 109 for the second wicket with Gambhir cracking a 31-ball 55 and Kallis proving as solid as ever on his way to a 64 off 47.

The target, that was reached with fifteen balls to spare and nine wickets, has given Kolkata Knight Riders a boost in the terms of run rate that could well turn to be a vital factor in the final analysis. On contrary, Bangalore’s second loss in the trot could well have shut their door, more so after suffering a big loss tonight.Having a big target in mind, Haddin, playing his first game for KKR in the tournament, didn’t waste any time to begin rapidly.

The Aussie cut short Sreenath Arwind’s joy, who had received a maiden call into Indian squad afternoon, creaming the left arm pacer for three consecutive fours in the second over of the innings. This kick-started the pursuit as Kallis danced won the wicket against left arm spinner Syed Mohammad for a huge six next over. This was only piece of substantial action from the Proteases all-rounder for the moment with Haddin taking the centerstage.

In the last over of powerplay, he smacked Arwind for two sixes and a four to bring fifty-run stand. The opening pair put on a 62 in the eight over with Haddin scoring bulk of them. It needed skipper Daniel Vettori , who had put a terrific fightback with the bat earlier, to give his first and only breakthrough. Haddin was lured into playing an uppish drive for Virat Kohli to complete an easy catch to end his 27-ball knock that included five fours and two sixes.

It was the only piece of joy for Bangalore on the field as Gambhir and Kallis went on about their business mixing copybook strokes with some innovation. Kallis was happy hitting the gaps for singles and doubles while Gambhir unleashed some quality inside out cover drives to keep abreast with the asking rate.

The KKR skipper smoked four sixes and three fours during his match winning knock and his star all-rounder steady-cum-aggressive innings was laced with four boundaries and a six.

After inserted to have a bat first, the home team recovered from a middle overs’ slip, that reduced them to 91 for 6 in 14th over, to manage a score in excess of 165. The Bangalore resurgence was scripted by their skipper Vettori, well aided by young Raju Bhatkal, as Kolkata bowlers wilted under their late onslaught. The intensity of the partnership ran the visitors ragged, so much so, their captain Gambhir lost his cool more than once to vent his frustration out.

The pair put on 61 off just 32 balls for the seventh wicket that played a major role in Bangalore scoring 67 in last five overs. Vettroi’s counterattacking knock of 44 came off just 23 deliveries and guided right-handed Bhatkal admirably who gave a good account of himself in his breezy 18.

The start to the Bangalore’s was very much expected. Having played two quiet overs, all of a sudden , Chris Gayle ran amok. In the third over, he slammed Brett Lee for two consecutive sixes into long-on stands before dispatching Kallis into wide long-off for his third maximum to have Bangalore crowd on their feet. Kallis, though, had his revenge back. The South African all-rounder castled the left-hander with a superb yorker to bring an end to brief Gayle show. The West Indian hit a 16-ball 25.

The Gayle departure lifted Kolkata as Lee accounted for Virat Kohli for a 4-ball nought to peg Bangalore back. Dilshan, who could only face six balls in first five overs, combined with Saurabh Tiwary for a steady 33-run stand. Tiwary’s nice little innings of 19 ended when he was holed out at mid-wicket off Yusuf Pathan. Next over Haddin’s nifty piece of work behind the stumps had Dilshan stumped Rajat Bhatia as Bangalore were tied down by the spinners.

Left arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla got into act with two quick wickets. He snared Mayank Agarwal for a 7-ball 13 including a couple of monstrous sixes and Mohammad Kaif to dent Bangalore’s progress.

Vettori brought all his experience into play. He went for attacking strokes and found a willing partner in Bhatkal to take attack back into Kolkata ranks. The Kiwi former captain took liking to inexperienced pacer Jaidev Udankat clipping him off legs for two consecutive sixes over square-leg boundary. His partner Bhatkal didn’t want to be left behind bulldozing Bhatia into long-on stands as pressure got into Kolkata fielders: making too many fumbles in the field.

Bhatkal departed in the 19th over but not before hitting an impressive 25 off 18 punctuated with two fours and a six. His replacement at the crease Syed Mohammad played his part cracking two fours in his four-ball stay.

Most of the Vettroi’s scoring shots came when he walked across his stumps to work the bowlers towards vacant legs-side areas. His knock was laced with five fours and two sixes.

For the third time running, Lee went for too many runs for Kolkata’s liking conceding 34 in his four but Abdulla three overs cost only 20 and had a brace of wickets to his name.