Legends League: Manipal Tigers beat Gujarat Giants by ten runs in an interesting match, Kallis’ half-century in vain
Ranchi 21 November (HS). Gujarat Giants, on the verge of victory, could not withstand the pressure of Manipal Tigers in the last three overs of the innings and lost by ten runs in the league match of Legends League Cricket after losing six wickets for just nine runs. In the match played on Monday night, while chasing the target of 174 given by Manipal Tigers, Gujarat Giants could only score 163 runs for 9 wickets.
Earlier, Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel won the toss and invited the opposition team to bat. Despite a cautious start, Manipal Tigers opener Chadwick Walton (17) was out LBW by Rayad Emrit on the score of 24. After this, Hamilton Maskajda showed his aggressive attitude and increased the run pace but fell victim to Rajat Bhatia in the seventh over due to which the score became 66/2. Maskajda scored 37 runs in 18 balls with the help of two sixes and five fours. Rajat did not stop here and in the very next over he dismissed set batsman Robin Uthappa (23) due to which the scorecard stood at 83/3. Sarbjit Ladda also supported Rajat Bhatia very well and kept the momentum of the opposition under control. Meanwhile, Ladda took the wicket of Colin de Grandhomme (8) on the team score of 91. Rajat bowled Kyle Kotjr (9) in the third over of his spell and sent half the team to the pavilion at 104.
Johnson, who was proving expensive in his very first over, expressed satisfaction by bowling Amitos (6). Thisara Perera (32 runs on 17 balls), who was wreaking havoc at the other end, was dismissed by Ishwar Choudhary, making the score 145/7. Trent Johnson made Harbhajan Singh (3) his second victim. With unbeaten Imran Khan (16) and Praveen Kumar (7), Manipal Tigers scored 173 runs for 8 wickets in the allotted twenty overs. Rajat Bhatia (3/31) took maximum three wickets while Trent Johnson (2/33) took two wickets.
Chasing the target, Chris Gayle and Jacques Kallis got off to a fast start and added 75 runs. In the seventh over, bowler Imran Khan controlled the situation and took the wicket of Gayle, giving Gujarat its first success. Gayle scored 38 runs on 24 balls. After this, captain Harbhajan took over the bowling and in his first spell sent back Richard Levi (5) and Kevin O’Brien (9) in two consecutive overs and the match became interesting with 99/3. The 55-run partnership between new batsman captain Parthiv Patel and Jacques Kallis was bringing the team closer to victory when Parvinder Awana took two wickets in the same over – Jacques Kallis (56) and Chirag Khurana (2), one in the match. Breathed life into it again. Kallis hit eight fours in his brilliant innings of 41 balls. Gujarat were in danger of defeat at 158/7 after Thisara Perera dismissed Patel (35) and Trent Johnson (0) in the 19th over of the innings. Awana restricted Gujarat to 163/9 by dismissing Rayad Emrit and Sarbjit Laddha in the final over of the innings without opening an account. Awana (4/19) took the maximum of four wickets while Thisara Perera (2/6) and Harbhajan Singh (2/12) took two wickets each.
