Bhilwara Kings put up a royal batting display in the 9th game of the SKY247.net Legends League Cricket (LLC) at the Barabati Stadium on Tuesday as they tore apart the Gujarat Giants bowling attack to post 222/4. Giants’ captain Virender Sehwag won the toss and opted to field, but thereafter almost
nothing went in his team’s favour as fours and sixes rained from the Kings’ bats, much to
the delight of the fans cheering from the stands.
Kings’ openers William Porterfield and Morne van Wyk went on the offensive from the
word go as they stole 15 runs from the very first over of the match. The trend continued
in the following overs with the two batters picking up boundaries almost at will.
Such was the Kings’ attack that they plundered a mind-blowing 76 without loss from the
six Powerplay overs. Nothing seemed to work for the Giants bowlers as the Kings raced
to 100 in the ninth over.
Irishman Porterfield was the first to get out, but only after he had played a whirlwind
knock of 64 off 33 balls with 10 boundaries and two sixes. While left-arm spinner KP
Apanna got Porterfield’s wicket, former England star spinner Graeme Swann got rid of
South African Van Wyk (50 off 28 balls).
The departure of the two dangermen brought only temporary relief to the Giants as
Kings captain Irfan Pathan, who promoted himself up the order, soon got into groove
and unleashed the big shots. Irfan clobbered three sixes and a four in his 23-ball 34.
Following Irfan’s dismissal, brother Yusuf Pathan took over, smashing the first two balls
he faced for two huge maximums. Jesal Karia too played an important knock of 43 off 29
balls to push the Kings’ total past the 200-run mark. The Kings took 24 runs from the last
over of their innings.
