28 September,2011 07:44 AM IST | | A Correspondent
KKR slips again, this time to South Australian outfit in CLT20
Riding on Callum Ferguson (70) and Dan Christian's (42) fine knocks, South Australian Redbacks beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 19 runs in a Champions League T20 Group B match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad yesterday.
Bad luck: KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan during their
loss against the Redbacks yesterday. Pic/AFP
In reply to the Redbacks' 188 for five, Kolkata Knight Riders could only muster 169 for nine in 20 overs. It was Ferguson and Christian who took the match away from the Kolkata side during the first innings itself. Ferguson scored a whirlwind 70 off 40 balls while Christian contributed 42, which came off 27 balls. The Kolkata bowlers, including Brett Lee and Jacques Kallis, were sent on a leatherhunt by the Aussie pair.
Ferguson looked in prime touch as he hit five boundaries and cleared the ropes four times. The duo stitched a partnership of 84 runs for the fourth wicket which came off 48 balls. Christian was no less than his partner, hitting four fours and a couple of sixes.
For Kolkata, Laxmipathy Balaji was the pick of the bowlers with 2-27 in his quota of four overs. Yusuf Pathan and Brett Lee proved to be costly for the Kolkata side. For KKR, none of the batsmen, barring Manoj Tiwary, could live upto the expectations. Tiwary tried his best, scoring a 31-ball 40, but that wasn't enough for them to get past the mammoth 188.
Brief Scores: South Australia 188-five in 20 overs (Callum Ferguson 70 not out, Daniel Christian 42; Laxmipathy Balaji 2-27). KKR 169-9 in 20 overs (Manoj Tiwary 40, Ryan ten Doeschate 32; Gary Putland 3-31, Daniel Harris 3-42).
