Knight Riders punish Pune

Skipper Gambhir and fellow opener McCullum put on century stand

Last updated: 5th May 2012  

Knight Riders punish Pune

Gautam Gambhir: hit a breezy half-century

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Kolkata Knight Riders kept up the pressure on Indian Premier League leaders Delhi with a narrow seven-run win over Pune Warriors.

Skipper Gautam Gambhir hit a breezy half-century as he and fellow opener Brendon McCullum (42) put on 113 for the opening wicket.

However, the India batsman's departure for 56 saw the Knight Riders lose momentum, particularly when McCullum soon after to Angelo Mathews (2-17).

Yusuf Pathan laboured to 11 from 15 deliveries while Debabrata Das (15) was the only other Kolkata player to make it into double figures, the innings finishing up at 150-5.

It looked as if that would be plenty to win the game when the Warriors fell to 55-5 in their reply, Marchant de Lange (3-34) doing much of the early damage.

Mathews and Sourav Ganguly gave Pune renewed hope with a 73-run partnership before the latter departed for 36 off the bowling of Rajat Bhatia.

Sri Lankan Mathews, who had thumped three consecutive sixes off Yusuf Pathan, continued to try his best. His efforts finally ended in the 20th over, when he became de Lange's third and final wicket of the match.

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