Wood stars in Lucknow's big win in IPL; Punjab beats Kolkata
LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Mark Wood grabbed 5-14 with his express pace and Kyle Myers made a blistering 73 runs off 38 balls in Lucknow Super Giants’ big 50-run win over Delhi Capitals in their opening game of the Indian Premier League on Saturday.
In the first double-header this season in the world's most lucrative cricket league, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh and Bhanuka Rajapaksa earlier led Punjab Kings to a seven-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders on the DLS method in a rain-hit game.
The two-month long tournament began on Friday with defending champion Gujarat Titans beating Chennai Super Kings by five wickets.
Delhi struggled to reach 143-9 as Wood first jolted the top order with his triple strike and then claimed two more wickets in the last over to end a perfect night for the home team.
Lucknow, which was asked to bat first, made an imposing 193-6 on the back of Myers' rapid knock. Nicholas Pooran provided a late flourish with a breezy 21-ball 36.
Wood clocked 147 kph (91 mph) on both occasions when he clean bowled opening batter Prithvi Shaw (12) and Mitchell Marsh off his successive deliveries while Sarfaraz Khan fell to a bizarre lap shot against the Englishman’s fiery short-pitched ball and holed out at fine leg.
Delhi skipper David Warner made 56 off 48 balls, but his team struggled to get the momentum against Wood and fast bowler Avesh Khan, who bagged 2-29.
Myers dominated the first half of Lucknow’s innings by plundering seven sixes and two boundaries before he was undone by left-arm spinner Axar Patel’s turning delivery that came back into the batter and knocked back the stumps in the 12th over.
Paceman Khaleel Ahmed was the pick of Delhi's bowlers with 2-30 as he claimed the wickets of Marcus Stoinis (12) and Pooran in his return spell.
PUNJAB PINS DOWN KOLKATA
Left-armer Arshdeep picked up 3-19 as Kolkata — in pursuit of a 192-run target — had reached 146-7 in 16 overs before heavy rain took the players off the field.
Rajapaksa (50) of Sri Lanka had earlier hit a 30-ball half-century with captain Shikar Dhawan (40) and Sam Curran (26 not out) making solid contributions in Punjab’s strong total of 191-5.
Arshdeep was effective with his short-pitched deliveries that saw him take two quick wickets before the left-armer returned and took the vital wicket of Impact Player Venkatesh Iyer (34) with another short ball just before rain arrived.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (22), who welcomed Sam Curran with a six and a four, was clean bowled by Nathan Ellis as Kolkata slipped to 3-29 inside the first five overs.
Captain Nitesh Rana, leading Kolkata for the first time this season, made a rapid 24 with three fours and a six before he gifted his wicket when he slashed hard at unorthodox spinner Sikander Raza and was caught at point.
Top-scorer Andre Russell (35) revived the run-chase with a 30-ball half century stand with Iyer before Curran had the hard-hitting West Indian caught at wide mid-wicket and Arshdeep got the vital wicket of Iyer.
Earlier, Rajapaksa and Dhawan provided Punjab a perfect launching pad with a 86-run second wicket stand as the home team reached 100-2 by the halfway stage.
Rajapaksa dominated the spin threat of Sunil Narine (1-40) while Tim Southee (2-54) and Shardul Thakur (0-43) were also expensive.
Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy (1-26) and Umesh Yadav (1-27) pulled back Punjab in the latter half with Chakravarthy had Dhawan clean bowled off a a delivery that skidded through the left-hander and Rajapaksa holed out at long-on just after completing his half century with five boundaries and two sixes.
Curran then played a little cameo off 17 balls that featured two sixes and Shahrukh Khan (11 not out) hit two fours to propel Punjab’s total.
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