Quinton de Kock’s astute fifty and pace sensation Mayank Yadav’s youthful brilliance fashioned Lucknow Super Giants’ 28-run romp over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match on Tuesday. Lucknow constructed their 181 for five around Quinton De Kock’s 81 (56b) and Nicholas Pooran’s unbeaten 40 (21b). RCB threatened to miraculously scale 182 briefly through Mahipal Lomror, who produced a forceful 33 off 13 balls. However, Mayank’s scorching three-wicket haul (3/14) was not to be denied as the hosts were bundled out for 153.
But in reality, RCB’s chase never really took off – partly by their own follies and partly by the excellence of Lucknow bowlers.
Lucknow opened the bowling with two spinners – Manimaran Siddharth and Krunal Pandya – and it did surprise Faf du Plessis (19 off 13) and Virat Kohli (22 off 16).
But the introduction of pacer Naveen-ul-Haq saw Kohli upping the ante, smoking him for six over the bowler’s head.
The left-arm spinner Siddharth soon fetched the massive wicket of in-form Kohli as the latter’s attempt to go inside out resulted in a simple catch to Devdutt Padikkal at backward point.
RCB went on a slide from that point losing skipper du Plessis, to a mindless run-out, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green and found themselves at 58 for four in the eighth over.
This was the period when Mayank cranked up the pace in his three-over spell (3-0-13-2).
Maxwell tried to pull a 151 kmph laser beam from Mayank, but the high pace meant that the Aussie could not time his pull, resulting in a simple catch to Pooran at short mid-wicket.
Green was beaten by Mayank’s raw pace as the delivery straightened a bit after pitching on the good length to rattle his off-stump.
The right-arm quick later added Rajat Patidar (27) to his kitty to reduce RCB to 103 for six, and the home side was sinking fast then.
Earlier, De Kock manifested his exceptional hitting skills with a fifty but Lucknow could not progress beyond a par score.
The left-hander selected the bowlers and positions around the ground to play his shots with precision but the RCB bowlers did not allow other batsmen, except Pooran, a free run.
The Super Giants went off the block quickly, reaching 32 for no loss in three overs and then making it 54 in the Power Play.
Most of the runs came from the blade of De Kock, who took a particular liking for pacer Mohammed Siraj.
The South African slammed him for three sixes – two in succession – spread across two overs – two powerful pulls and a handsome loft over mid-wicket.
KL Rahul, who captained the side after coming in as an impact sub against Punjab Kings in the previous game, started slowly making six runs off his first 10 balls.
But a six off left-arm pacer Yash Dayal gave his innings momentum and later he swept spinner Maxwell for a six.
However, Rahul perished soon as an attempt to pull Maxwell’s good length delivery ended up in the palms of Mayank Dagar inside the circle.
The second substantial alliance in LSG innings followed Devdutt Padikkal’s exit as De Kock and Marcus Stoinis (24, 15b) added 56 runs off 30 balls for the third wicket.
De Kock, who brought his fifty in 36 balls, kept his end going during this alliance as Stoinis hammered a six each off Maxwell and Green as LSG rolled on.
But the blooming partnership ended when Stoinis’ half-hearted swat was pouched by Dagar at point. De Kock departed soon, lofting Reece Topley to Dagar at long-on.
The LSG were 143 for four in 16.3 overs at that stage and needed a few more runs to reach safer shores.
Pooran, who biffed left-armer seamer Topley for three sixes in a row in the 19th over and two more maximums in the final over off Mohammed Siraj, gave them those during his final assault.
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