Lumb, Ojha star in Rajasthan Royals win over Kings XI
By IANSWednesday, April 7, 2010
JAIPUR - Rajasthan Royals stayed in contention for a semi-final berth with a nine-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium here Wednesday.
Playing on their home ground for the first time this season, Royals put a up a splendid show by first restricting Kings XI to 153 for five in 20 overs and then its Michael Lumb (88) and Naman Ojha (44 not out) displaying good power hitting to surpass the target with five overs to spare.
Royals moved to the third spot in the IPL with 12 points from 11 matches while Kings XI stayed at the bottom of the table as they suffered their eighth loss in 10 matches.
Opting to bat first, Kings XI started off well with openers Mahela Jayawardene (44) and Manvinder Bisla (29) adding 29 runs in 3.3 overs.
Jayawardene, riding high after a century against Knight Riders in the last match, carried on from where he left and hit six fours and a six in his 33-ball innings.
After the early dismissal of skipper Kumar Sangakkara (9), Jayawardene joined forces with the the flamboyant Yuvraj Singh (28) to add 56 runs for the third wicket.
Yuvraj, who has been in out of form this season, looked in good touch and hit Shane Warne for two sixes and a four as 17 runs came off from the 11th over and Kings XI also crossed the 100-run mark.
But the next over from medium pacer Aditya Dole, who dropped Jayawardene at 36, changed the complexion of the game. Jayawardene welcomed Dole with a four, but the 18-year-old from Pimpri picked up both Yuvraj and Jayawaredene in the next four balls and the Royals slumped to 109 for four.
In the last five overs, Kings XI struggled to get the runs and scored just 27 sans any boundaries.
While chasing, Ojha and Lumb made it look easy with their 109-run stand. Lumb smashed sixteen fours and two sixes during his 43-ball innings while at the other end the young Ojha kept accumulating the singles.
After Lumb’s dismissal, Ojha and Yusuf Pathan (21 not out) added 48 runs for the unbeaten second-wicket partnership as Royals romped home to a comprehensive win.
