Lucknow eliminate Kolkata

AP

Mumbai, May 20 : Lucknow Super Giants pulled off a sensational two-run victory and eliminated Kolkata Knight Riders from the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

Kolkata was in sight to chase down its highest ever score in the IPL before getting restricted at 208-8 with Marcus Stoinis picking up two wickets off the last two balls.

Quinton de Kock’s masterful 140 off 70 balls was ably supported by Lucknow skipper Lokesh Rahul’s 68 as the pair shared the IPL’s highest ever opening wicket stand and took their team to a formidable total of 210-0.

“I was a little bit cooked, but I had to get out there and get on with the job,” de Kock said after hitting 10 sixes and 10 fours in his superb innings.

The victory sealed Lucknow’s place in the playoffs with 18 points while Kolkata went out of the tournament with 12 points from its 14 league games.

Fast bowler Mohsin Khan (3-20) faded Kolkata’s hopes in the 17th over when Andre Russell was caught in the deep with the total at 150-6.

But left-handed Rinku Singh, who smashed 40 off 15 balls, and Sunil Narine (21) turned the game on its head by bringing down the target to 21 off Stoinis’ 

last over.

Singh’s followed his first ball boundary with two big sixes against the Australian fast bowler before running hard for two runs to bring down the equation to three off the last two balls.

But West Indian Ewin Lewis grabbed a stunning left-handed sliding catch to dismiss Singh off the fifth ball and Umesh Yadav was clean bowled off a yorker to the delight of the Lucknow dug-out.

“I thought Stoinis would defend it easily, but after the third (ball) I thought the game is done. But Evin proved catches win matches,” de Kock said.

Despite the defeat, Kolkata skipper Shreyas Iyer felt his team showed a lot of character and attitude in its last IPL game this season.

“I’m not feeling sad at all because that was one of the best games of cricket I’ve ever played to be honest,” Shreyas said. “I love the way Rinku got us to the end … he was really sad.”