IPL: McCullum And Hodge Set Up Kolkata Victory

IPL: McCullum And Hodge Set Up Kolkata Victory

The Kolkata players celebrate a wicket.

©REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko (SOUTH AFRICA SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

IPL: McCullum And Hodge Set Up Kolkata Victory

Brad Hodge played a superb innings for the Knight Riders.

©REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko (SOUTH AFRICA SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

Kolkata Knight Riders 189-3 (McCullum 81, Hodge 71no) beat
Chennai Super Kings 188-3 (Raina 52, Dhoni 40no) by seven wickets
Indian Premier League, Centurion Park

The Kolkata Knight Riders took a last-ball seven-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings to register only their second victory of the 2009 competition at Centurion Park.

Half-centuries from Brendon McCullum (81) and Brad Hodge (71 not out) steered them to 189 for three after Suresh Raina's 52 had helped the Super Kings reach 188 for three.

Raina hit three fours and three sixes in his innings, facing 37 balls in all, coming to the crease after openers Parthiv Patel (25) and George Bailey (30) were both run out.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni chipped in with an unbeaten 40 while Albie Morkel was unbeaten on 21 in ten balls. Ashok Dinda was the only Knight Riders bowlers to take a wicket when he had Raina caught by Laxmi Shukla one ball after he had reached his half-century.

Brendon McCullum then smashed his way to 81 in just 48 balls, thumping 11 fours and three sixes, making light of the dismissal of Saurav Ganguly, bowled via an inside edge by Muttiah Muralitharan for four.

McCullum was joined at the wicket by Brad Hodge, who played a masterful innings, hitting four fours and four sixes in 44 balls at the crease but after McCullum was bowled by Shadab Jakati and David Hussey ran himself out for three, there was plenty of work to do.

Some lusty hitting from Wriddhaman Saha, hitting out with a runner due to cramps, got the target down to six required from the final over, for which Dhoni turned to Raina with his off-spin.

A dot ball was followed by three singles and two runs, leaving the scores level with a ball to go. Dhoni brought the field in, Saha thumped the ball over the fielders into the covers and the Kolkata finally reacquainted themselves with a winning feeling.

Chennai now need another win if they are to reach the semi-finals for the second year in succession.

© Cricket World 2009

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