IPL5: Kings XI http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Punjab-c833 rattle Chennai Super Kings to stay in contention for play-offs – Cricket News Update
Kings XI Punjab marched to an easy victory over the two time defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, on Thursday, May 17, 2012. Punjab kept their hopes of advancing to the play-offs alive, with the six-wicket win at Himachal
Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala.
The returning skipper of Punjab, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Adam-Gilchrist-c918, led from the front by playing a whirlwind innings of 64 runs that saw the Kings XI chase down a paltry 121 with 21 balls to spare.
It was a perfect day for Gilchrist, who returned to Punjab’s colours after missing a few games due to a hamstring injury. The former Australian international won the toss and made the right call by forcing CSK in to bat on a pitch
that offered some assistance to pacers. Later during Chennai’s innings, Gilchrist grabbed four catches which helped in lifting the morale of the bowlers and they went on to restrict the strong CSK batting contingent to 120.
Awana, once again, was the pick of the bowlers for Punjab. Though, the medium-pacer grabbed two wickets but it was his economy rate, of three runs per over, which was quite impressive. The veteran pacers, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Azhar-Mahmood-c1116 and Praveen
Kumar, also chipped in with two wickets a piece.
Gilchrist, who was declared Player of the Match, hailed the efforts of his bowlers. The wicket-keeper batsman admitted that CSK had an off day which helped Punjab’s cause.
He said, “It was good to get back on the game. The bowlers bowled exceptionally well and today was the day when Chennai did not bat well. One of those days when Chennai batsmen nicked all of them, all of them straight-forward catches.”
After the six wicket defeat, CSK’s IPL5 campaign is as good as over. Kings XI Punjab, on the other hand, are not out of trouble yet, as they still have to win their final league game, that against the league-toppers http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Delhi-c780 Daredevils,
on Saturday, May 19, to make it to the play-offs.
Hoping to subdue Daredevils, Gilchrist said, “We need to win our game against Delhi and await some other results too.”
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