Kolkata notch up second consecutive win by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Scorecard:	Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore
Player:	MK Tiwary, BJ Hodge, JH Kallis, AD Mathews
Event:	Indian Premier League 2009/10

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DateLine: 15th March 2010

 

The capacity crowd at the Eden Gardens were treated to an impeccable show by Kolkata Knight Riders which notched up its second consecutive win in the DFL IPL on Sunday.

 

The home side crushed Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets and now has scored wins against both the winner and runner-up of last year's league. After restricting Bangalore to a under par score of 135, Kolkata rode on a brilliant opening wicket stand of 101 between local boy Manoj Tiwary (50) and Australian import Brad Hodge (50) to cruise home in the last over.

 

Half the battle was won when, Kolkata new ball bowlers reduced the Bangalore side to 20 for three by the sixth over. Promoting the young Goswami to open along with Kallis was a brave move but he failed and so did Manish Pandey. Virat Kohli had his stumps rearranged by Mathews for nothing and Eric Morgan after a brief flourish perished to a cunning ball from Karthik to leave the visitors reeling at 35 for four in the eighth over. Bangalore looked up to its veterans Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to deliver the goods.

 

Kallis, didn’t show any signs of the jet lag, as he and Dravid went about the business of repairing the innings. Dravid (21) played a few pleasing shots before dragging an innocuous ball from Mathews on to his stumps. But before that both Kallis and Dravid had added a valuable 38 runs for the fifth wicket. Kallis figured in another productive stand with Robin Uttappa (20) for the sixth wicket. Uttappa fell while trying to force the pace. Kallis remained unconquered but the total of 135 was never going to test the home side.

 

Tiwary showed the positive intent from the start and opened up with a few bold strokes against Kallis. He treated Steyn with disdain as Kolkata galloped away to a good start. Hodge content on rotating the strike to Tiwary, put the pressure on Bangalore bowlers by punishing the loose deliveries. None of the bowlers failed to create any sort of impression on the opening pair as they coolly raised the century stand in the 11th over. Tiwary perished while trying to play a stroke too many but by then had laid the foundation for a comfortable win Hodge fell after completing his half-century. Ganguly (23) took the home side to doorsteps of the win before being dismissed. But Pujara and Owais Shah saw them home.