Russell fireworks inspire KKR to dominant win

MUMBAI, India (CMC):

Broad-shouldered Andre Russell blasted a stunning half-century as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) rebounded from Wednesday’s defeat with a dominant six-wicket win over Odean Smith’s Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League here yesterday.

Chasing a modest 138 at the Wankhede Stadium, KKR easily overhauled their target with 33 balls to spare, with West Indies star Russell finishing unbeaten on 70 from just 31 deliveries.

The right-hander thumped two fours and eight sixes dominating a 90-run, unbroken fifth wicket stand with Englishman Sam Billings, who made 24 not out off 23 deliveries.

Choosing to bowl first earlier, KKR restricted Kings to 137 all out off 18.2 overs, Bhanuka Rajapaksa lashing a nine-ball 31 with three fours and three sixes, and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada arriving at number 10 to chip in with 25 off 16 deliveries.

Rajapaksa put on 41 for the second with Shikhar Dhawan (16) before Rabada added a further 35 for the ninth wicket with Smith (nine not out) to pull the slumping innings around.

New-ball seamer Umesh Yadav claimed four for 23 to earn Man-of-the-Match honours while West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine ended with one for 23 in another miserly four-over spell, and Russell snatched a single wicket from the two balls he sent down before ending the innings.

In reply, KKR were in deep trouble at 51 for four in the seventh over before Russell arrived to change the course of the run chase.

Entering the contest at the end of the seventh over, Russell managed only two runs from his first eight deliveries before teeing off in the tenth over, smacking left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar for a couple of sixes in an over which leaked 17 runs.

He then tore into fellow Jamaican, Smith, smashing the speedster for four giant sixes in the 12th over which gushed 30 runs and altered the momentum for KKR.

Russell raised his fifty off 26 balls in the 14th over but refused to slow down, ending the game with back-to-back sixes in the 15th over from Englishman Liam Livingstone.

Smith finished with one for 39 from his two overs, after claiming opener Venkatesh Iyer, caught at cover for three in the fifth over.

Russell made 25 on Wednesday and went wicketless as KKR suffered a three-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore in their second game of the showpiece at the DY Patil Sports Academy here.

KKR won their opener last week with a six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings.

On Thursday, West Indies left-hander Evin Lewis struck an unbeaten 55 from just 23 balls with half-dozen fours and three sixes in a Man-of-the-Match effort, as Lucknow Super Giants chased down 211 to beat CSK by six wickets with three balls to spare.