…..Smutts leads Warriors to 50-run win
Roelof van der Merwe blazed Somerset to victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in their second game of the Champions League in Hyderabad. Set 162 to win, the match came down to the final three balls before Nick Compton’s boundary gave the English side a five-wicket victory.
Jacques Kallis had batted through the Kolkata innings to make 74 from 61 balls as his side racked up 161 for three in their 20 overs.
But his efforts were overshadowed by those of Van der Merwe, who hammered 73 from 40 deliveries to set up a fine win.
Kolkata keeper Manvinder Bisla contributed 17 to an opening stand of 20 with Kallis before Lewis Gregory (two for nine) removed him and Gautam Gambhir in the same over.
Manoj Tiwary added 20 but it was Yusuf Pathan, with 39 from just 21 balls including four sixes – from successive deliveries in Arul Suppiah’s solitary over – who provided the fireworks in conjunction with Kallis, who also cleared the ropes four times and added four fours.
In reply, Van der Merwe reverse-swept Shakib Al Hasan for six and repeated the shot against Iqbal Abdulla for his eighth four to bring up an astonishing 25-ball half-century.
He hit another six and uppercut a four to, remarkably, the fine-leg boundary in taking 16 from a Kallis over before Peter Trego, having played an unfamiliar supporting role, was run out for 28.
Shakib Al Hasan had effected that dismissal and also removed Van Der Merwe, the South African’s onslaught ended when he chipped a tame return catch.
Suppiah gained a measure of redemption with 15 from 11 balls and it was left to Compton to see Somerset home with two balls to spare, hitting 19 not out from 17 balls – including the winning boundary.
In the day’s other match, opener JJ Smuts hit 88 to lead the Warriors to a 50-run hammering of South Australia in Hyderabad.
Smuts’ innings set up a total of 171 for five in his side’s 20 overs and it swiftly became obvious the Australians were not likely to challenge as they slipped to 35 for three in 5.5 overs.
The win was the Warriors’ second in succession after their impressive run chase to defeat Bangalore Royal Challengers on Friday.
Smuts hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 65-ball innings and received strong support from Colin Ingram (30) and Mark Boucher (34) in stands of 73 and 80 respectively.
Michael Klinger led from the front for South Australia but when he fell for 34, leaving his side 58 for four in the 10th over, the game was effectively up.
Cameron Borgas (18), Dan Christian (26 not out) and Tim Ludeman (14) tried their best to keep the chase alive but they were always behind the rate and came up well short, Johan Botha (one for 11) and Lonwabo Tsotsobe (two for 30) the pick of the bowlers. (PA Sport).