All posts by n8rngtd.top

Neither team is out of the running for a playoffs berth, but the odds are stacked against them

Deivarayan Muthu13-May-20222:28

Should KKR stick with Venkatesh Iyer and Ajinkya Rahane at the top?

Big picture

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s fortunes have fluctuated wildly this season. After racking up five successive victories, they have lost four games on the bounce and two of their key players – T Natarajan and Washington Sundar – to injuries. Their injury-enforced absence has coincided with Sunrisers’ attack conceding 190-plus totals in each of their four losses. Sunrisers now need to win their remaining three league matches to be in with a chance to qualify; if they lose one then they will have to hope that at least one of Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore lose their remaining games.Sunrisers have rifled through their bowling options, but Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kartik Tyagi, J Suchith and Shreyas Gopal haven’t quite provided the control and bite that Natarajan and Washington brought. The good news for Sunrisers, though, is both Natarajan and Washington are likely to be fit for Saturday’s fixture, as they look to snap their losing streak and work their way back into contention for the playoffs.However, the bad news is the duo’s potential comeback doesn’t mask the troubles at the top. Captain Kane Williamson’s powerplay strike rate of 79.52 is the lowest among batters who have faced more than 50 balls during this phase in this season. His opening partner Abhishek Sharma’s form has also cooled off after a hot start.

LIVE in the USA

You can watch the match on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

Kolkata Knight Riders, too, have had to contend with top-order issues, but Venkatesh Iyer’s comeback and the presence of Ajinkya Rahane, one of the better players of the short ball, gives them hope. Venkatesh’s 24-ball 43 was central to Knight Riders posting their first fifty opening stand and highest powerplay total – 64 for 1 – this IPL, in their previous game against Mumbai Indians.Knight Riders also found a way to fit both Pat Cummins and Tim Southee into their XI against Mumbai, but they have now been forced to rejig their combination, with Cummins flying back home after suffering a hip injury. Varun Chakravarthy also contributed to Knight Riders’ victory against Mumbai and later, speaking to Star Sports, the host broadcaster, he said that the ball has been coming out of his hand better than it did in the early half of the season. Despite the positives, Knight Riders’ chances of qualifying are slim.

In the news

• Cummins’ injury is understood to be a minor problem and he is expected to be fit in time for Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka next month. Knight Riders have not asked for a replacement for Cummins.
• Brendon McCullum will step down from his role as Knight Riders head coach at the end of the ongoing season, and will take charge of England’s Test side.
• With Sunrisers coming off a five-day break, head coach Tom Moody is hoping that both Natarajan and Washington would be available for the clash with Knight Riders.2:09

  Bishop: All the changes have ‘created instability’ in KKR ranks

  Likely XIs

  Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Sam Billings (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Umesh Yadav/Shivam Mavi, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Varun ChakravarthySunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Washington Sundar/J Suchith, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Marco Jansen/Fazalhaq Farooqi/Romario Shepherd, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T Natarajan/Kartik Tyagi

  Strategy punts

  • Rahul Tripathi is Sunrisers’ best bet to tackle Sunil Narine. He has taken the spinner for 67 runs off 45 balls at a strike rate of almost 149 without being dismissed in seven IPL innings. Although the sample size is much smaller, Tripathi also has a strong head-to-head record against Varun: 19 off six balls without being dismissed.
  • Farooqi, Marco Jansen and Sean Abbott are all bowlers who swing the new ball or float slower variations with the old one. Against Knight Riders, whose struggles against the short ball have been well-established, there is perhaps a case for Sunrisers to yank Romario Shepherd out of the bench and give him the license to try and bounce out the opposition along with Malik.

  Stats that matter

  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar has dominated Rahane in the IPL, having got him six times in 15 innings while keeping him to 89 runs off 96 balls
  • Andre Russell has smashed Bhuvneshwar for 51 off 21 balls at a strike rate of nearly 243 while being dismissed just once in the IPL.
  • Williamson’s overall strike rate of 96.13 is the lowest among batters with a minimum of 100 runs this season. Rahane is just behind Williamson on this list with a strike rate of 100.96.
  • This will be Shreyas Iyer’s 100th IPL game.

Scotland rode Kyle Coetzer’s powerful batting at the top of the order to a 37-run win over Hong Kong at Mission Road, earning a split of the two-match T20 series

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Man-of-the-Match Kyle Coetzer struck 70 for Scotland in the win, a career-best in T20Is•Peter Della Penna

Scotland rode Kyle Coetzer’s powerful batting at the top of the order to a 37-run win over Hong Kong at Mission Road, earning a split of the two-match T20 series. Man-of-the-Match Coetzer scored 70 off 40 balls, a career-best in T20Is for the opener, to propel the visitors to 161 after being sent in.It was a solid bounceback in particular for Coetzer after falling for a duck the day before in Scotland’s nine-wicket defeat. His opening partner George Munsey fell without scoring in the opening over of Sunday’s rematch but Coetzer and Matthew Cross were undeterred in their aggression during the Powerplay.Coetzer maintained a brisk pace early before Cross targeted Hong Kong captain Tanvir Afzal in the sixth, clattering a trio of fours through mid-off and a fourth behind point to take Scotland to 54 for 1. Their 71-run stand ended when Nadeem Ahmed had Cross caught off the left-arm spinner’s first ball in the ninth over for 27, failing to clear Nizakat Khan at deep midwicket.Coetzer kept cruising after Cross departed though and eventually brought up his fifty off 29 balls, striking the left-arm spin of Anshuman Rath for his fourth six over mid-off. He hit six sixes in all, every one driven between mid-on and cover, in an impressive display of orthodox strokeplay. After pulling Aizaz Khan for his fifth four in the 13th, Coetzer tried the shot again but top-edged to Nizakat at deep square leg.Scotland stuttered from there, losing their next five wickets for 17 runs as Nadeem and Haseeb Amjad prevented a late surge following Coetzer’s excellent platform. Nadeem in particular kept Scotland off balance with his variations of flight and pace to claim 3 for 23, and helped to hold Scotland to 161 for 9.Any momentum Hong Kong had in the final five overs in the field was wiped out by a double-barreled seam assault from Safyaan Sharif and Bradley Wheal, who reduced the hosts to 7 for 4 after 15 balls of the chase. Jamie Atkinson was squared up first ball and edged Sharif behind to Cross before Wheal got a slice of good fortune when Rath missed a full toss after charging down the track to start the second and was bowled for 1.Wheal nearly had Mark Chapman two balls later as an inside edge missed the stumps before going to the fine-leg boundary but on the final ball of the over managed to have the prized scalp – caught flicking a thin edge down the leg side to a diving Cross. Sharif had Babar Hayat poking unnecessarily at a wide delivery to send a catch to Preston Mommsen at second slip three balls into the third over and from there Hong Kong were virtually out of the game.Hong Kong slipped further to 34 for 6 in the ninth when Richie Berrington struck off consecutive deliveries. Nizakat was caught hooking to deep square leg for 17 while Kinchit Shah drove a full delivery flat and hard to Calum MacLeod at head height on the long-off rope for 7.Afzal made the final margin appear more flattering after striking the fastest T20I fifty for Hong Kong, off 20 balls, including four sixes in a 30-run over off Rob Taylor in the 17th when he drove the left-arm medium-pacer repeatedly over mid-on and mid-off. He had been dropped earlier on 22 off a sharp return chance to the left-arm spinner Mark Watt as a drive burst through the bowler’s hands toward mid-off but Afzal’s fireworks finally came to an end in the 18th when Wheal returned to the attack and forced a mistimed drive to Taylor at mid-off. Berrington ended the match one over later with his third wicket after Amjad sent a catch to deep square leg.Hong Kong now have two weeks to prepare for their Asia Cup T20 qualifying round against UAE, Afghanistan and Oman. Scotland will fly through the UAE on their way home for three matches, including T20Is against UAE and Netherlands on February 4 and 5 in their final scheduled action before their first match at the World T20 against Afghanistan on March 8.

Durham’s future as an international venue has received a major boost with the club granted planning permission to install floodlights at Chester-le-Street.

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2015Durham’s future as an international venue has received a major boost with the club granted planning permission to install floodlights at Chester-le-Street.The Earl of Scarborough, whose seat is Lumley Castle that overlooks the Riverside ground, was the primary opponent to the plans but Durham County Council unanimously approved the planning application.Preparatory work had already taken place with a view to installing six floodlights and now, with the green light for installation given, Durham are hoping to have use of their floodlights this season.Floodlights are essential for Durham to stage matches at the 2019 World Cup. All of the venues allocated matches for the World Cup will now have floodlights in place by next season.And of the 18 county grounds, only Leicestershire, Somerset and Worcestershire will not have floodlights by 2016, as more counties get set to take advantage of later start times for evening T20 matches.”This is a hugely significant decision,” Durham chief executive David Harker said. “We are all absolutely thrilled because having floodlights at the ground is vital to the future of the club, and means that international cricket will continue to be played in the north east.”There was a danger that we were perceived to be slipping behind the game at a time when we are looking to renew contracts and agree new sponsorship deals. People have to have the confidence that we are moving forward as an international ground, and this decision means that we are.”Durham become the second county in as many days to receive planning permission for floodlights after Gloucestershire were given the go-ahead for their own plans at Bristol.

A dominant partnership between Chris Nash and captain Ed Joyce guided Sussex to their first win in this year’s Yorkshire Bank 40

10-May-2013
ScorecardA dominant partnership between Chris Nash and captain Ed Joyce guided Sussex to their first win in this year’s Yorkshire Bank 40 in a rain-affected contest against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.Sussex recovered from a troubled start to post 215 for 7 from their 40 overs with Nash amassing 95 off 106 balls and Joyce an even-paced 90 off 91 deliveries as they piled on 173 runs for the fourth wicket.Trent Copeland took career-best figures in one-day cricket of 5 for 32, but the home side never looked like keeping up with the run-rate as they collapsed to 122 for 9 from 26.3 overs, with Sussex winning by 61 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method.Sussex won the toss and chose to bat but they lost Luke Wells in the third over when he edged David Willey to Andrew Hall at first slip. Copeland then struck when England’s Matt Prior was caught behind for 3 and Sussex were then reduced to 12 for 3 in the sixth over when Copeland’s delivery crashed into Rory Hamilton-Brown’s off stump.But the fourth-wicket pair of Nash and Joyce recovered the Sussex innings with Joyce reaching 50 off 61 balls and Nash following suit from 68 deliveries. A 30-over partnership was finally broken when Joyce pulled Steven Crook to Copeland at short fine leg.Sussex wicketkeeper Ben Brown was then trapped lbw by Copeland before Nash’s brilliant innings came to an end when he chipped the same bowler to Hall at midwicket. Copeland completed his second five-wicket haul in one-day cricket when Chris Jordan played on in the final over.Initially chasing 216, Northamptonshire lost Stephen Peters in the fifth over when he was pinned lbw by Jordan to depart on 20. The captain Alex Wakely then threw his wicket away when he tamely nudged James Anyon to Hamilton-Brown at backward point. Kyle Coetzer also went cheaply when he launched Anyon to Michael Rippon at mid-on before David Sales perished on 24 when he clubbed Chris Liddle to Prior at deep square leg.After a 40-minute rain delay, Northamptonshire lost Matthew Spriegel when he was well caught at mid-off by Nash off Michael Yardy and Duckett followed by edging Liddle. Liddle’s yorker clattered into Willey’s off stump with Jordan then bowling Hall and Crook, who put up some resistance in making 25, before more heavy rain put the hosts out of their misery.

Tamim Iqbal, Minhajul Abedin and Habibul Bashar heap praises on the Bangladesh team following their historic win against New Zealand

Mohammad Isam06-Jan-2022Bangladesh ODI captain and senior player Tamim Iqbal praised the team for crossing “all barriers” to beat New Zealand in their own backyard in the first Test in Mount Maunganui.On Wednesday morning, there were celebrations led by Tamim and other players following the historic win, at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, where the BCL final was taking place.Tamim praised the scale of the victory, particularly keeping in mind Bangladesh’s previous record in New Zealand.Related

• Test failures a worry, but Tamim expects 'very, very good' Bangladesh ODI team if things go to plan

• Shakib: 'I am happy Bangladesh beat New Zealand without me'

• Ross Taylor: 'All good things have to come to an end'

• Ebadot Hossain: 'If you are fit enough as a fast bowler, you can do anything'

• Stats – Bangladesh end jinx as NZ's unbeaten home run stops at 17

“We returned empty-handed from New Zealand for many years, many tours,” Tamim wrote on his official Facebook profile. “The situation was tougher this time. But the team crossed all the barriers to bring a wonderful win. Beating New Zealand in New Zealand is one of the toughest jobs in world cricket. We showed that we can.”What really touched me was that it was a total team effort. It is a team with great spirit. No praise is enough for Ebadot [Hossain]. [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy, [Najmul Hossain] Shanto, Liton [Das], [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz and Yasir [Ali] everyone contributed in the win. Even Taijul Islam took a brilliant catch as a substitute.”Tamim said that captain Mominul Haque deserved special mention for continuing to motivate the team during a “difficult time”.”I will mention someone separately. At a very difficult time, when no one believed in the team, when there was doubt within the team too, only one man didn’t lose his belief. He always tried to motivate the team by saying ‘we can, we definitely can’, despite bad days, bad performances. He has tremendous love for Test cricket. He gives the most priority to Test cricket. I doff my cap to the captain, Mominul Haque.”Chief selector Minhajul Abedin wants the team to use this blueprint to continue their success in Tests.”This is a memorable win. It is a huge milestone for our cricket.” Abedin said. “I think if we hold on to this process for the next three to five years, we can become a good Test-playing team.”People say a lot of things about the cricketers’ ability, but playing while being in a bio-bubble is tough. They have adjusted themselves and given the nation a great gift. Definitely, they deserve a salute.”Habibul Bashar, another senior selector and a former national captain, called the win Bangladesh’s greatest accomplishment in Tests.”I am lost for words. I am extremely happy. We have won a few Tests, done a few good things, but I think this is our greatest achievement as a Test-playing nation.”We played great cricket throughout this Test match. In every department. Top-order batting, fast bowlers, spinners. Even the captain got us breakthroughs. It will be tough to find something negative from this Test win.”

It’s shaping up to be a big week for Graeme Smith, who will turn 32 and become the first captain to lead in 100 Tests on Friday

Firdose Moonda29-Jan-2013It’s shaping up to be a big week for Graeme Smith. On Monday, he announced his wife is expecting the couple’s second child later this year. On Friday, he will turn 32 and also become the first person to captain a team in 100 Tests, when he leads South Africa against Pakistan in Johannesburg.Cricket South Africa (CSA) are pulling out all the stops to celebrate his achievement. The first day of the Test has been declared ‘Biff day’, after Smith’s nickname. Those in attendance at the match will sing Happy Birthday to him during one of the intervals and there is talk that a cake will be brought onto the field with candles for him to blow out.Smith has been given a hospitality suite for his family and friends’ use on the day. Among the other important guests expected to be in attendance is the country’s sports minister, Fikile Mbalula, who will take time out of his football duties at the African Nations’ Cup to be at the cricket.CSA have also displayed a giant shirt, with the details of all of Smith’s centuries printed on it, on the wall of a popular sports clothing store in a mall in Johannesburg. Supporters have been invited to write a personal message on the whites and some of them will appear on the scoreboard during the match.For a man who struggled for affection from fans for a long time, the current outpouring is quite moving. At a signing session at the mall, Smith lapped it all up. He appeared completely relaxed as he signed autographs and posed for photographs.His team-mates were full of praise as well. For most of them, he is the only Test captain they have known and he has overseen their development and integration into the side. “Graeme has been an outstanding leader. He deserves all the credit that comes his way,” Vernon Philander said.”A hundred Tests as captain – just to play 100 Tests is a momentous feat. When you’re growing up, you don’t imagine that you are going to play so much,” Hashim Amla said. “He’s taken on so much responsibility and the fact that he’s still here and putting in big performances for the team is a tribute to the person he is and the commitment he has given to the team.”Amla also added a little bait for the occasion. “He got a hundred in his 100th Test, and it would be nice if he made a contribution like that and helped us win the game.” Smith played his 100th Test at The Oval in July last year and scored a century to contribute to South Africa’s series lead.Jacques Kallis is the only member of the current squad to have played under different leaders, which means he is also the only one to have been alongside Smith for his entire career. Kallis has been witness to Smith’s uncomfortable start and subsequent maturing and believes the changes have been pronounced.”To achieve what he has achieved, I don’t think will be achieved very soon again, if ever,” Kallis said. “He’s proved a lot of people wrong. He’s stood up and faced the criticism and produced the results.”He leads from the front and that’s what you want in a leader. If he says something he’ll be the first guy to go forward and do it. He’s opening the batting, so he’s getting out there first and setting the tone and the example. He’s an in-your-face kind of guy who will take on challenges and never back down. He doesn’t ask any player to do anything he wouldn’t do himself. There are times to be brash and there are times to absorb the pressure and that’s what he’s developed over the years. He’s learnt when to be which character which has probably been his biggest improvement as a captain.”As testament to his ability to lead by example, Smith holds an unusual record. On each of the 26 times he has scored a Test hundred, South Africa have either drawn or won the match. It is a statistic he was only made aware of during his century in Adelaide and said it was something that he was “very proud of.”Although Smith lives and plays his cricket in Cape Town, he is originally from Johannesburg and so this will effectively be a “home” celebration. Smith completed his schooling at the King Edward VII High School and played a handful of matches for Gauteng before he was snapped up by Western Province. He was made captain at the age of 22 and is currently in his tenth year in the job, having captained South Africa in 98 Tests and the World XI in one.

Marcus Trescothick, the Somerset captain, has said he was “embarrassed” by his team’s performance against Sussex

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2013Marcus Trescothick, the Somerset captain, has said he was “embarrassed” by his team’s performance against Sussex where they crumbled to an innings defeat in little more than four sessions at Horsham.They were bowled out before lunch on the first day for 76 and only crept into double figures second time around with 108. It was their third Championship defeat in six matches and they are seventh in table without a victory just three points clear of the relegation spots.”It’s not an easy performance to take, and I’m quite embarrassed by what we’ve done,” Trescothick told BBC Somerset. “We’ve got to try and turn it around. That’s all we can do.”I’m devastated. It’s a hard situation to be involved in and I’m not understanding why we’re playing like we are. We’ve got to find a solution. It’s been going on for a couple of games and we’ve not been near what we expect.”But there’s no easy answer. If I knew that we could put our finger on it and go from there.”Following the two-day defeat the squad had an extra training session at Taunton on Friday and their coach, Andy Hurry, echoed Trescothick’s sentiments about the performance. “Our professional pride is hurt and we are fully aware that we have underachieved and haven’t performed at all with the bat,” he told the club website.”We know its only a matter of time before we put in a performance and dominate a side, but when it does turn around we are going to hit somebody very hard, so we are in the process at the moment of trying to turn things around.”Somerset have been without Nick Compton in recent weeks due to England duty and Craig Kieswetter who broke a thumb against Warwickshire in April. Alviro Petersen, their overseas player, will soon join the South Africa squad for the Champions Trophy as a replacement for Graeme Smith. His countryman Dean Elgar has been signed as cover.Jos Buttler will be on one-day duty with England from next week and Somerset will hope that will coincide with Kieswetter’s return.Their next Championship match is against Yorkshire, at Taunton, starting on May 28.

James Strong, chairman of the local organising committee for the 2015 World Cup, has died aged 68 after complications from surgery

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2013James Strong, chairman of the local organising committee for the 2015 World Cup, has died aged 68 after complications from surgery.He died on Sunday evening in a Sydney hospital, having held the tournament chairman’s position since August 2011. The tournament chief executive John Harnden said Strong had made a major contribution to the event.”James has been a friend and a mentor to me over a long period and I will miss his company and his advice,” Harnden said. “He has made a massive contribution to corporate and sporting life in Australia and New Zealand.”We extend our sincere condolences to his family and many friends. We will continue the work he began on the World Cup and deliver a tournament in 2015 that would make him proud.”Before working on the organisation of the World Cup, Strong had been the chief executive and managing director of Qantas from 1993 until 2001. He had also served as chairman of the Australia Council for the Arts, alongside senior roles with Woolworths, Rip Curl, IAG and Kathmandu.

Fully vaccinated fans should have taken the second dose 14 days prior to the match

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2021In a first since 2019, fully vaccinated cricket fans in Antigua will get a chance to watch the West Indies Women live in action against the touring Pakistan Women during their eight limited-over matches, starting with a three-match T20I series on Wednesday, followed by five ODIs. It will be the West Indies’ first home international in 19 months.According to Cricket West Indies, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has granted permission to have fully vaccinated spectators at all matches after consulting with the Ministry of Health, the Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) and the national board.CWI also added that the fully vaccinated fans should have taken the second dose of vaccine at least 14 days prior to the match that they wish to attend.Related

• Nida Dar becomes the first Pakistan player to 100 T20I wickets

• Twin sisters Kycia and Kyshona return to WI side for Pakistan T20Is

• Javeria, Rameen, Sidra to lead Pakistan teams on West Indies tour

• Pak Women to tour Caribbean for three T20Is, five ODIs and six A team matches

“We are happy to see the return of international women’s cricket to the West Indies and it’s great to see our West Indies Women’s players back in action as they face Pakistan Women,” Johnny Garve, CEO of CWI, said in a statement. “It is also wonderful that the fans will be able to attend all the matches and offer their support to the players.”We give special thanks to the Government of Antigua & Barbuda who continue to work closely with CWI to ensure that we can host matches safely and for the first time since the start of the Pandemic see fans in the two stadiums.”Alongside the senior teams, West Indies A will also face Pakistan A. The A teams will play their T20 matches on the same day and at the same venue, preceding the senior teams’ matches, beginning with the first day of matches at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Wednesday.CWI said that fans who purchase tickets will have to present their vaccination documentation and national ID to Ministry of Health representatives to validate their vaccination status and be permitted entry into the ground. Fans who are aged below 18 will not be allowed to watch the match live.

The Kolkata Knight Riders shackle themselves to the bottom of the points table with a confused batting display

Alagappan Muthu24-Apr-2021A good T20 total is built on the back of batters being brave. The Kolkata Knight Riders forgot all about that on Saturday, losing to the Rajasthan Royals by six wickets and tumbling to the bottom of the IPL points table.A haunted team

The Knight Riders lost their last game in heroic fashion. It left Andre Russell “heartbroken” but the worst of the impact may have been on Eoin Morgan who, even as early as the presentation that night, was wondering what might have been.So maybe he and his team devised a plan. Let’s not try anything in the powerplay. Let’s not give our opponents an easy wicket. If we can do that, then with the hitters down the order, we could really do some damage. #BestLaidPlans.Wasting resources

Nitish Rana once scored an IPL fifty without the help of a single four. He didn’t need them. He just kept clearing the boundary. Here, he looked shackled. Here, he was caught behind for 22 off 25 with one measly four and one measly six.Shubman Gill lorded it over the Australian Test attack – which some say is the best in the world – but against one that had gone the last T20 without picking up a single wicket, he just caved without a fight.Morgan was run-out without facing a ball.The debacle against the Chennai Super Kings happened three nights ago. But it was still affecting the Knight Riders, the shackles they placed upon themselves eventually becoming too difficult to break.The bitter end

Twenty-five for one in the powerplay. Sixty-one for four just past the halfway mark. When a batting team falls so far behind the rate, they start to hit out at everything. The Royals understood that and put all of their effort into taking the pace off, while also digging it into the pitch. Mustafizur Rahman (1 for 22), Chetan Sakariya (1 for 31) and Jaydev Unadkat (1 for 25) were especially useful in this regard, posing problems even for a hitter like Andre Russell because they took away his base and therefore his power.Ironically, it was two seam-up deliveries that took down the Knight Riders’ two finishers, Chris Morris dismissing Russell and Dinesh Karthik in the 18th over and setting his team up with a below-par target of 134 to chase.Samson steps up

Knowing it was only a matter of lasting the full 20 overs, the Royals captain Samson (42* off 41) took the responsibility upon himself and made sure he was out there when the winning runs were scored. The innings began with a flowing cover drive against Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin and included a vicious six off Pat Cummins’ pace, but for the most part, Samson was focused on just being at the crease, ticking the singles over so that he could, with as little risk as possible, push his often fragile team across that finish line.