The excitement of Twenty20 is touching new heights with the day’s progressing in the ongoing Indian Cricket League’s Edelweiss 20s Challenge as hosts Hyderabad Heroes pulled of a nail-biting six wicket win over spirited Kolkata Tigers played at the Lal Bahadur Stadium here on Wednesday.
Man of the match Jimmy Maher scored an unbeaten 65 that included seven fours while Stuart Binny came up with a scintillating unbeaten cameo of 44 runs in just 19 balls cracking five fours and two sixes scripted Hyderabad Heroes’ thrilling win in another close match that went down to the wire.
The Heroes’ win washed off all the hard efforts put in by South African Lance Klusener who scored a brisk 73 to take Tigers total to 166 in stipulated overs.
Chasing the challenging target of 166 after putting Tigers into bat, Heroes’ clinched the thriller in the final over with four balls to spare. Heroes needed 18 runs off the last 2 overs after they were placed 120 for 6 in 16 overs.
Hyderabad lost three early wickets for 28 before Justin Kemp (28 off 18 balls) and Maher provided the resistance with their 56-run partnership at a rate of 8.40 runs per over.
Heroes further lost two quick wickets but Maher and Binny combined well in an unbeaten 73-run stand in 6.1 overs to romp Heroes home with four balls to spare. They scored at an amazing rate of 11.83 runs per over.
The match was evenly poised through the halfway stage with Heroes needing 98 runs of 60 balls with 7 wickets in hand. Maher and Kemp were enjoying a healthy partnership till Kemp held out one to long on reducing the Heroes to 84/4.
A horrible mix up resulted the run-out of dangerous Abdul Razzaq that further worsen matters for the Heroes, reducing them to 91/5.
But Stuart Binny and Maher held on their nerves taking the match to a pulsating climax with the Heroes needing 18 runs off the last 2 overs. Finally Binny and Maher took Heroes home comfortably with four balls left.
Earlier, Kolkata Tigers had a good start after having two Half-century partnerships for the first two wickets. Subhomoy Das, who scored just nine, put on 52 for the opening wicket with Klusener and then the menacing South African all-rounder and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (24 off 22 balls) stitched 53 for the second wicket.
Klusener straightaway got into the act, as he was due for a big score. He thudded two big sixes to take 21 runs off Shahabuddin's first over. There was no stopping the Klusener onslaught and he was dealing in some serious big hits to the boundaries. By the end of the 4th over the Tigers were off to a flyer at 48 for no loss.
The Hyderabad team got its first wicket in the form Subhomoy Das on 51. Harris opted for his young left arm spinner Reddy in the 5th over and he was relatively successful in restricting down the Klusener’s onslaught, with two tight overs costing just 4 runs.
Klusener completed his 50 (23 balls) in style after smashing a big six off to Reddy. Tigers were comfortably placed at 82/1 at the halfway mark with Klusener & Jhunjhunwala looking in ominous form at the middle.
Klusener blistering innings, for a magnificent 73, finally came to an end after keeper Ibrahim Khaleel off the bowling of Harris caught him. Tigers were placed at 125/3 but some big hitting towards the end from Andre Adams helped them set a target of 165 for the Heroes.
Brief Scores: Kolkata Tigers: 165/5 in 20 overs (Klusener 73, Adams 27, Jhunjhunwala 24, Harris 2/16) lost by 4 wickets Hyderabad Heroes: 168/6 in 19.2 overs (Jimmy Maher 65, Stuart Binny 44, Hayward 2/27).
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