KOLKATA–Sunil Narine was superb but his West Indies teammate Chris Gayle proved ordinary, as Kolkata Knight Riders produced a clinical all-round performance to surge to a convincing 30-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore here yesterday.
Kolkata piled up 195 for four, with opener Robin Uthappa pummelling 83 from 51 balls and Bangladeshi Shakib Al Hasan, 60 from 38 deliveries with five fours and three sixes.
In reply, RCB lost Gayle in the second over for just six and then failed to find the momentum to mount a proper run chase, ending on 165 for five.
Narine was the main destroyer, finishing with four for 20 from his four overs.
Gayle faced nine deliveries and struck one four–a whip through square off seamer Umesh Yadav � but was trapped on his crease off the very next ball to fall lbw.
Gayle has scored 196 runs from nine innings at an average of 21, and a highest score of 46.
Wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale top scored with 45 and captain Virat Kohli got 38, adding 85 for the second wicket, and threatening to rescue the innings.
However, Narine removed both in the 13th over � his third of the innings. He had Kohli taken at point off the third delivery, cutting one that bounced slightly and then removed Takawale three balls later, bowled playing on a delivery that turned sharply.
Yuvraj Singh took all his 22 runs from Yadav's third over � the 16th of the innings � before Narine also took care of that threat.
Yuvraj holed out to long on off the second ball of the next over and AB de Villiers fell to the final delivery of the over, bowled off-stump for 13.
Narine's double blow put the seal on the game for KKR, with the victory lifting them to third in the standings but level on points with second placed Chennai Super Kings on 16 points.
RCB are one from bottom on ten points.
In the other match, Dwayne Smith eclipsed the 500-run mark, as his stellar season continued.
He smashed a typically quick-fire 47 in a losing effort as his Chennai Super Kings were out-gunned by the Darren Sammy-led Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chennai rattled up 185 for three but then watched as Sunrisers overhauled the total to win by six wickets, with four balls left.
Smith crashed four fours and four sixes off just 28 balls, adding 33 from 21 deliveries with South African Faf du Plessis (19).
He also dominated a 35-run stand for the second wicket with Suresh Raina (4), before falling lbw to leg-spinner Karn Sharma in the seventh over.
Smith now has 501 runs for the IPL campaign, joining Indian Robin Uthappa (572) and Australians Glenn Maxwell (533) and David Warner (524).
In reply, Sunrisers were handed a superb start by David Warner who smashed 90 from 45 balls with 12 fours and three sixes. He put on an explosive 116 for the first wicket with Shikhar Dhawan, who scored 64.
Chennai are second on 16 points, two behind leaders Kings XI Punjab while Sunrisers are fifth on 12 points. (CMC)
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