Yuvraj heroics not enough to deny Bangalore win
CRICKET: DURBAN, South Africa, May 2, 2009 - Kings XI Punjab captain
Yuvraj Singh took a hat-trick and slammed a half-century but it was not
enough to secure a win for his side in their Indian Premier League match
against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Kingsmead on Friday.
Instead, feisty South African all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe
spurred Bangalore to an eight-run win, hitting 35 off 19 balls, taking
two wickets for 22 runs and pulling off a crucial run-out.
Bangalore seemed in desperate trouble at 84 for six after Yuvraj
dismissed Robin Uthappa, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher with successive
deliveries.
But Van der Merwe chanced his arm and hit three sixes and three fours
to enable Bangalore to reach 145 for nine. Yuvraj, playing on the ground
where he hit six sixes in an over for India against England in the
inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007, opened the batting with Karan Goel and
the pair seemed to have put their side well on the way to victory with
an opening stand of 70.
But the game changed dramatically when Anil Kumble had Yuvraj caught
in deep in the tenth over. Yuvraj made 50 off 34 balls with four sixes
and three fours.Kumble, captaining the Challengers following the return
of Kevin Pietersen to England, admitted afterwards: “Another five overs
of Yuvy and the game was probably over.”
Van der Merwe dismissed Goel in the next over and then ran out Simon
Katich with a superb diving stop and quick throw. The Kings XI were
unable to regain their momentum and their target became almost
impossible when Van der Merwe had Mahela Jayawardene caught in the
covers, leaving Punjab needing 30 off 17 overs.
Struggling with a wet ball, Van der Merwe’s over cost 13 runs
including four leg byes and a wide, but Kumble bowled Kumar Sangakarra
in the next over and Praveen Kumar killed Punjab’s hopes with two
wickets in the final over.“We should have won the game but Bangalore
bowled well,” said Yuvraj, who was named man of the match despite being
on the losing side.
BANGALORE
145-9 in 20 overs - R. van der Merwe 35; I. Pathan 2-19, Y. Abdulla
4-36, Yuvraj Singh 3-22).
PUNJAB
137-7 in 20 overs - Yuvraj Singh 50; P. Kumar 2-27, R. van der Merwe
2-22, A. Kumble 2-25).
AFP
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