Hyderabad: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) once again put up a disciplined bowling show as they restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 142/7 in an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here on Saturday.
Eoin Morgan top-scored for Sunrisers with a 43-ball 51 and was well supported by Naman Ojha who smashed 37 off 28 balls. Pacer Umesh Yadav bagged figures of 3/28 for the visitors.
The hosts were jolted upfront as KKR picked up two early wickets. First to head back was the out-of-form Shikhar Dhawan (6) who managed to slash one through to the wicket-keeper Robin Uthappa of a Morne Morkel delivery in the third over.
Next, Umesh foxed captain David Warner (13) with a cutter and the powerful left-hander only managed to scoop it till short-cover.
In the last over of the powerplay, Umesh struck again as he trapped Moses Henriques (6) in front of the stumps with the score reading 36/3.
Morgan and Deepak Hooda (6) tried to resurrect the wobbly innings with a 14-run partnership but the latter threw his wicket away.
Sunrisers finally got some momentum in the 13th over as Morgan hit spinner Sunil Narine for two consecutive boundaries, much to the delight of the crowd. The next over from leg-spinner Piyush Chawla also helped the hosts as it yielded 13 runs.
The hundred came up in the 16th over for Hyderabad as Ojha, who was providing strong support to Morgan, smashed a six off Morkel.
It took a brilliant catch to break the 67-run partnership as Ojha was holed out. Andre Russell held onto the ball first but seeing that he would cross the boundary line he threw it back to Chawla who grabbed it on the second attempt.
Thereafter Morgan also fell trying to heave one to the leg side and with it went Sunrisers’ hope of getting to the par 160 mark.
(IANS)
