Mark Boucher hit an unbeaten 25 off 13 balls as Bangalore Royal Challengers posted an exciting five-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.
Kevin Pietersen's Bangalore needed 10 in the last over to achieve a 140-run target before Boucher smashed spinner Chris Gayle's penultimate delivery for a winning four to help his team register the second victory in six matches. Kolkata have so far won only one of their six games.
Teenager Shreevats Goswami also played a big role in Bangalore's victory, top-scoring with 43. The 19-year-old opener hit six fours in his 46-ball knock. Australian spinner Brad Hodge put pressure on Bangalore with three wickets, but South African wicket-keeper Boucher batted sensibly in the crucial last over to steer his team home. He was named man of the match.
Pietersen earlier used his spinners intelligently to restrict Kolkata to a modest total. Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble was the most successful bowler with 2-16 off four overs. South African Morne van Wyk top-scored for Kolkata with 43 not out. Part-time off-spinner Pietersen himself bowled the opening over and struck with his first delivery, having hard-hitting New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum caught by Virat Kohli at point.
Kumble was pressed into the attack early in the innings and got a wicket in his opening over when he trapped Hodge (17) leg-before before accounting for Wriddhiman Saha (21). Left-arm spinner Prabhu Appanna claimed a big wicket when he had well-set West Indies skipper Gayle caught in the deep. Gayle, batting with a runner due to leg cramps in the later part of his innings, hit a 37-ball 40.