HYDERABAD, India, CMC – Sunil Narine’s brilliance once again proved the difference as his Kolkata Knight Riders beat Lahore Lions by four wickets with three balls to spare, to remain unbeaten in the Champions League Twenty20 here yesterday.
With Lahore rollicking along at 95 for three at the end of the 13th over, Narine intervened with devastating effect grabbing three wickets in the space of 12 balls, to cripple the innings and help restrict the Pakistani outfit to 151 for seven off their 20 overs.
In his second over, the West Indies off-spinner removed Saad Nasim without scoring to a leading edge to cover and then struck twice in his third over, trapping Umar Siddiz lbw for two and then bowling Asif Raza first ball, to reduce Lahore to 105 for six at the end of the 16th over.
He returned to bowl the 19th over which cost three runs but Umar Akmal, who gathered a hasty 40 from 24 balls, plundered 16 runs from the final over bowled by fast bowler Pat Cummings, to get Lahore up to a decent total.
Opener Ahmed Shehzad had earlier top-scored with 59 from 42 balls, with five fours and four sixes, to lead the Lions after they were sent in at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Jamaica and West Indies fast bowler Andre Russell sent down four overs for 38 runs.
In reply, captain Gautam Gambhir struck a top score of 60 from 47 balls in an opening stand of exactly 100 runs with Robin Uthappa who got 46, as Knight Riders lay the foundation for victory.
Russell made just one after arriving at the crease in the penultimate over with Knight Riders needing six runs for victory.
