Saturday 23rd April, 2011 15

Bollywood actress and Kings XI Punjab team owner Priety Zinta looks on during an (IPL) match between Kings XI Punjab and in Mohali, India, Thursday, April 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)

Kings XI Punjab , left, cel- ebrates with bowler Bhargav Bhatt, right, the dismissal of Rajasthan Royals batsman Ashok Menaria, unseen, during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in Mohali, India, Thursday, April 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan) shaun Marsh

BY DOUGLAS SAXBY Kings XI - at 169 for two with five overs still to bat - seemed set for a mas- sive score of over 200. he Kings XI cruised to their third consecutive victory with a 48-run But only 26 runs were to come from the last 30 balls, Marsh was caught domination of the Rajasthan Royals in Mohali on Thursday. and bowled by Watson and Dinesh Karthik fell to Tait for 21. The T Australian speedster ended with 4 for 21 off his full quota as the Royals Adam Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty set the men from Punjab off to a blis- were able to pull themselves back into contention with their gritty display tering start before Shaun Marsh top-scored with 71 in a score of 195 for at the tail-end of the innings. seven - the highest total so far in this year’s competition. In response However, facing the tournament’s highest run-chase, the Royals top- Rajasthan never threatened with their innings limping to 147 for seven off order folded with Rahul Dravid (8) - returning after an injury lay-off - the 20 overs. first man out, bowled by Ryan Harris. Fellow opener Asnodkar followed The only IPL game of the day pitted former teammates Shane Warne soon after with his stumps cleaned up by Praveen Kumar. and Adam Gilchrist against one another as captains of their respective Gilchrist opted to bowl Kumar for sides and it was Rajasthan skipper Warne who won the toss and chose to his full four overs at the top of the bowl first on a pitch covered in grass, but flat and primed for a high-scoring innings and the seamer rewarded his Paul Valthaty clash. skipper with the prize of Warne cited the dew factor later in the evening as his reason for taking Watson (24) to finish with figures of the field first, but with the opening pair of Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty two for 22. scorching their way to 67 for no loss after just four overs, it appeared to be Piyush Chawla (1 for 24) then an incorrect call from the Australian leg-spinner. removed Ross Taylor for a duck to Fortune was certainly on the side of the men from Punjab from the start end the game as a contest at 49 for as Siddarth Trivedi bowled Gilchrist in the opening over only for a no-ball four, leaving the rest of the to be called, with the follow-up dispatched to the fence for four. Rajasthan middle-order to fight in Similarly in the second over of the day Shaun Tait thought he had vain through the remaining 12 Valthaty’s wicket only to be called for a back-foot no-ball before he too was overs. carted to the fence. Stuart Binny (30), Ashok With lady luck in their favour and the Royals deflated Gilchrist and Menaria (34) and Abhisheck Raut Valthaty made merry with the latter particularly brutal in Trivedi’s second (25) each added useful contributions over, blasting 25 runs to take him past Sachin Tendulkar as the competi- while Bargav Bhatt claimed 2 for 20 tions highest run-scorer. Valthaty was also gifted two more lives as he was as the Royals finished 147 for seven dropped by on 37 and Swapnil Asnodkar on 41. from their 20 overs. The Royals finally had joy in the fifth over when Shane Watson had The result sees the Kings XI Gilchrist caught for 28, but Shaun Marsh and Valthaty continued the leapfrog Rajasthan in the IPL table onslaught and added 48 runs before the 27-year old right-hander finally per- with their third win on the trot ished for 46 from 31 deliveries. He was caught in the deep off Warne’s bowl- seeing them into third place ing with the leg-spinner reaching 50 IPL . while the Royals drop to The highlight of Marsh’s half-century was one particular Warne over fifth after six outings, which he struck for 21, including three sixes over mid- more than any other wicket, and the side in the competi- tion.

Rajasthan Royals bowler Shane Watson, left, and cap- tain Shane Warne celebrate the dismissal of Kings XI Punjab captain Adam Gilchrist during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in Mohali, India, Thursday, April 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)

British actress and model Elizabeth Hurley, center, cheers after Shane Warne hit a four, during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in Mohali, India, Thursday, April 21, 2011. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)