KKR’S ‘LOCKIE’ CHARM
Ferguson bowls a stunning ‘Super Over’ to help Kolkata beat Hyderabad
ABU DHABI: A fast and furious Lockie Ferguson produced one of the most incredible bowling performances of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 to lead Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a thrilling ‘Super Over’ win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) here on Sunday.
Ferguson proved to be the “Knight in Shining Armour” with his storehouse of variation as he dismissed David Warner and Abdul Samad in the ‘Super Over’, leaving KKR with only a three run-target to chase. This was after Warner (47 off 33 balls) and Rashid Khan made 18 runs off the final Andre Russell over and helped Hyderabad level the scores (163) with Kolkata following the stipulated 20 overs.
Ferguson was magnificent during the regulation overs too as his 3/15 in fours overs had SRH in all sorts of trouble. He bowled a great first spell, in which he dismissed Kane Williamson with a short ball, got rid of Priyam Garg with a slower one and saw the back of Manish Pandey with a yorker.
His five wickets in the game took Kolkata’s tally to 10 points, while Hyderabad stays at six points. Earlier, former captain Dinesh Karthik’s carefree approach was well complemented by skipper Eoin Morgan’s grace as KKR managed 163 for five after being put into bat.
Karthik (29 not out off 14) and Morgan (34 off 23) joined forces at 105 for four and added 58 runs in the last five overs. Morgan’s innings had three fours and a flicked six over mid-wicket while Karthik hit a couple of sixes and equal number of boundaries.
Thangarasu Natarajan (2/40 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler, but it was Vijay Shankar (1/20 in 4 overs) who was the most economical. Rahul Tripathi (23 off 15) gave the first charge in the powerplay as he hit Natarajan for a straight six and a pulled boundary. Young opening batsman Shubman Gill (36 off 37) struggled to time the ball, save an over from Basil Thampi when he got three successive fours.
Russell’s (9 off 11) season just went from bad to worse as his shot off Natarajan’s slower one landed in the hands of Vijay Shankar at the deep mid-wicket boundary.
BRIEF SCORES: Kolkata Knight Riders 163 for 5 in 20 overs (S Gill 36, E Morgan 34, T Natarajan 2/40) tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad 163 for 6 in 20 overs (D Warner 47, J Bairstow 36, L Ferguson 3/15). KKR beat SRH in the ‘Super Over’
It was a pleasure to get an opportunity and do well. To get David Warner, especially at the start of the ‘Super Over’, was satisfying. It is great to have Eoin Morgan in the side. It was good to use his experience against Hyderabad
– Lockie Ferguson, Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler