Russell, Narine fail with bat as KKR slump to second defeat
KOLKATA, India, CMC – West Indies Andre Russell snatched three wickets but failed again with the bat as Kolkata Knight Riders slumped to their second loss in four matches with a 23run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.
After Harry Brook’s unbeaten even hundred left KKR with a mountainous 229 to chase at Eden Gardens, Russell perished for three and Sunil Narine for a first-ball ‘duck’, the run chase ending on 205 for seven.
Captain Nitish Rana slammed 75 from 41 deliveries and Rinku Singh, a daring 31-ball unbeaten 58 at number seven, but the 32 runs required from the final over proved out of KKR’s reach.
Brook had earlier belted a dozen fours and three sixes in a 55-ball knock to propel Sunrisers after they were sent in.
The Englishman put on 46 for the first wicket with Mayank Agarwal (9) and a further 72 for the third wicket with captain Aiden Markram, the South
African lashing 50 from 26 deliveries with two fours and five sixes.
Brook also provided the innings with momentum at the back end, adding 72 for the fourth wicket with Abhishek Sharma who made a 17-ball 32 with three fours and a couple of sixes.
Medium pacer Russell was the standout, snaring three for 22 from 2.1 overs while off-spinner Narine ended wicketless from four overs which cost 28 runs.
KKR’s run chase started badly, Rahmanullah Gurbaz perishing to the third ball of the innings without a run on the board, and Venkatesh Iyer (10) and Narine following in the fourth over with the score on 20.
The left-handed Nitish, who struck five fours and half-dozen sixes, put on 62 for the fourth wicket with Narayan Jagadeesan (36) to stabilise the innings but once the latter fell in the ninth over, Russell followed quickly afterwards, holing out to long on off leg-spinner Mayank Markande (2-27).