Sep 28, 2022, 11:59 AM IST
Gujarat Giants had stalwarts Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle for their batting. Regardless, Bhilwara Kings exceeded them with a regal batting show in Game 9 of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2022 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday. A collaborative exertion with the bat saw the Kings rip apart the Giants' bowling attack, posting 222/4. The Kings' bowlers backed the batters' effort by bowling in tight lengths to the Giants' potent batting line-up. The Giants were dismissed for 165, giving the Kings a 57-run conquest. With this success, the Kings now possess five points, similar to that of the Giants and India Capitals, despite having narrowly lost out to Manipal Tigers on Monday.
The stern chase shined for the Giants as they kept losing key wickets. The in-form Irish opener Kevin O'Brien was sent back in the second over, as skipper Sehwag joined 'Universe Boss' Gayle in the middle. Gayle could not unleash his outlandish hits, as he was playing his maiden game of the tournament and dismissed for 15.
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Sehwag began to find his form and hit three fours and a six before falling for 27 off 20 balls. After that, none of the Giants' batters could get a foothold in the middle. Yashpal Singh, who came in at ninth, finished with an adornment, scoring 57 of 29 deliveries, which wasn't enough for his side.
Former Indian pacer S Sreesanth rewinded the clock, scalping 3/36, while off-break spinner Jesal Karia (2/22) and Windies pacer Fidel Edwards (2/30) were the successful ones with the ball. Earlier, Giants' captain Sehwag had opted to field, but almost nothing went in his side's favour as the Kings batters rained fours and sixes.
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Kings' openers William Porterfield and Morne van Wyk were offensive from the start, plundering a mind-blowing 76/0 from the six Powerplay overs. Nothing worked for the Giants' bowlers as the Kings were 100 by the ninth. Ireland's Porterfield was the first to be dismissed after a whirlwind knock of 64 off 33, with ten fours and a couple of sixes.
South Africa's Van Wyk (50 off 28) fell soon too. Then, Kings skipper Irfan Pathan promoted himself up the order and whipped three sixes and a four to score a 23-ball 34. Following his dismissal, brother Yusuf Pathan came in, cracking the first couple of balls he faced for two giant sixes. Karia, too, played a crucial knock of 43 off 29. The Kings bagged 24 runs in the innings' final over.
Brief Scores: Bhilwara Kings 222/4 in 20 overs (M van Wyk 50, William Porterfield 64, Irfan Pathan 34, Jesal Karia 43) beat Gujarat Giants 165 in 19.4 overs (Yashpal Singh- 57) by 57 runs.