09 May,2013 07:44 PM IST | | PTI
Kevon Cooper scalped three vital wickets before Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten half-century to help Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets and inch closer to securing a play-off berth in the ongoing Pepsi Indian Premier League at Mohali on Thursday
By virtue of this win, Rajasthan have moved to the second position in the team standings with 18 points from 13 games behind table-toppers Chennai Super Kings (20 points).
Opting to field, Cooper picked up the wickets of Adam Gilchrist (42), Shaun Marsh (77) and dangerman David Miller giving away just 23 runs off his four overs to help Rajasthan restrict Kings XI to 145 for six.
Ajinkya Rahane hit his third consecutive half-century on Thursday.
The visitors then rode on Rahane's unbeaten 59 off 49 deliveries and useful contributions from Sanju Samson (47 not out) and Shane Watson (31) to chase down the target with an over to spare.u00a0
Rajasthan's chase, however, did not start on a good note as they lost skipper Rahul Dravid early when he was cleaned up by left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma.u00a0
Rahane and Watson then shared 65 runs off 50 balls for the second wicket to set the platform for Rajasthan's chase.u00a0
Just when it seemed the duo would run away with the game, Piyush Chawla went through Watson's defence.u00a0
The Australian all-rounder laced his 25-ball innings with three boundaries and one huge hit over the fence.u00a0
But that was all Kings XI could manage as Rahane and Samson played sensibly thereafter and mixed caution with aggression to guide Rajasthan home without any further damage.u00a0
While Rahane struck three fours and as many sixes during his knock, young Samson's knock came off just 33 balls with the help of five hits to the fence and one over it.u00a0
Earlier,u00a0Rajasthan bowlers maintained discipline despite an attractive half-century by Shaun Marsh and an equally useful contribution from Adam Gilchrist, to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 145 for six.
Marsh (77) and Gilchrist (42) added 102 runs for the second wicket but Rajasthan Royals bowlers, led by Kevon Cooper (3/23), put the brakes during the death overs.u00a0
The last seven overs of the innings produced only 45 runs and Kings XI lost five wickets in the process.u00a0
Ajit Chandila got a breakthrough in the first over when Mandeep Singh (0) lobbed a simple return catch to the bowler with not a run on the board.u00a0
Kevon Cooper took three vital wickets to help keep Kings XI Punjab in check. Pic/AFP
Gilchrist, who had dropped himself from the playing XI, however, batted positively from the onset. He started off with a cover-drive off S Sreesanth.
A flurry of boundaries followed from Gilchrist's bat as he struck two meaty blows off Sreesanth's next over.
When left-arm seamer James Faulkner came into bowl, he steered successive deliveries to the boundary with the home team taking off after the first over dismissal.
Marsh, who had come in after Mandeep's dismissal, was boosted by Gilchrist's counter-attack as he lofted Chandila for a six and followed that with a boundary. 14 runs came off the seventh over.
The 100 came up in the 13th over while Marsh duly reached his 50 off 44 balls as he played Faulkner towards fine leg.
However, soon after the century stand, Gilchrist was dismissed by West Indian Kevon Cooper as he committed early to a slower delivery. He faced 32 balls and hit six fours.
David Hussey (1) was castled by Watson but there was no stopping Marsh as he hit Faulkner over long-on for his second six and followed that with a cover-driven boundary.
When Cooper bowled Marsh with another slower delivery, he had faced 63 balls and hit six boundaries and two sixes.
Man of the moment, David Miller, was also snapped up by Cooper with Rahane taking a catch at deep mid-wicket.
The momentum was lost as Kings XI finished much below what was expected of them after being 100/1 after 13 overs.
