Los Angeles Knight Riders edge Texas Super Kings in thrilling 12-Run Victory

In the second match of the 2024 Cognizant Major League Cricket season at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, the Los Angeles Knight Riders put on a brilliant display to defeat the Texas Super Kings by 12 runs on the opening night.

Match Summary

Texas Super Kings 150/8 (20 ov)

Los Angeles Knight Riders 162/7 (20 ov)

Los Angeles Knight Riders won by 12 runs.

SCORECARD  

 

Unmukt Chand's brilliant 68 off 45 balls powered the LA Knight Riders to a total of 162/7 in their allotted 20 overs. Ali Khan then delivered a match-winning performance, taking four wickets for 33 runs, to restrict the Texas Super Kings to 150/8, clinching the win by 12 runs.

On what turned out to be a challenging batting wicket, the Texas Super Kings began their chase of 163 runs cautiously. Skipper Faf du Plessis (14 off 14), who attempted to accelerate the run rate, was dismissed by Spencer Johnson in the fifth over. Trying his signature scoop, he mistimed the shot and was caught by Derone Davis at mid-wicket. Aaron Hardie (11 off 14) was then sent packing by Shakib Al Hasan in the ninth over.

Opener Devon Conway kept the scoreboard ticking, steadily taking the Super Kings closer to the target with timely boundaries. However, Ali Khan turned things around for the LA Knight Riders by taking three wickets in the 14th over. He bowled Conway, hitting the off-stump, then dismissed Joshua Tromp (18 off 14), who was by Derone Davis with a stunning catch, as the ball was flying off the edge to third man. The subsequent delivery saw Milind Kumar (0 off 1) caught at slip by Andre Russell. Marcus Stoinis (2 off 6) fell in the following over, scoring just two off six balls, leaving the Super Kings reeling from 100/2 to 107/6 after 15 overs.

However, Calvin Savage took matters into his hands and kept the Super Kings in the game with a flurry of boundaries and sixes. He along with Naveen-ul-Haq smashed 17 runs off Ali Khan in the 18th over to take the equation down to 27 runs from 12 balls. Russell and Khan then bowled exceptional final two overs to close out the game for LA Knight Riders.  

Earlier in the contest, Texas Super Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first. Zia-ul-Haq shook the LA Knight Riders' lineup, dismissing both openers, Jason Roy (2 off 11) and Sunil Narine (2 off 3), in the third over, leaving the Knight Riders struggling at 10/2 after three overs.

Unmukt Chand and Shakib Al Hasan attempted to steady the innings, but the latter fell to Aaron Hardie in the seventh over, having scored 18 off 13 balls. Nitish Kumar then added 26 runs off 17 deliveries before being dismissed in the 11th over, with the score at 78/4.

Despite the rapid fall of wickets, including those of impactful players like David Miller (4 off 9) and Andre Russell (10 off 5), Chand kept one end intact. He played a magnificent knock of 68 runs from 45 balls, laced with six boundaries and three sixes, to anchor the Knight Riders' innings. He got out in the last over, but Corne Dry's onslaught of three fours off Marcus Stoinis powered the LA Knight Riders to a respectable total of 162/7 in 20 overs

Match Stats

 Los Angeles Knight Riders Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Jason Roy - 2.1 ov), 2-5 (Sunil Narine - 2.5 ov), 3-44 (Shakib Al Hasan - 6.4 ov), 4-78 (Nitish Kumar - 10.3 ov), 5-95 (David Miller - 13.2 ov), 6-106 (Andre Russell - 14.2 ov), 7-150 (Unmukt Chand - 19.2 ov)

Texas Super Kings Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Faf du Plessis - 4.3 ov), 2-64 (Aaron Hardie - 8.5 ov), 3-102 (Devon Conway - 13.2 ov), 4-103 (Joshua Tromp - 13.5 ov), 5-103 (Milind Kumar - 13.6 ov), 6-107 (Marcus Stoinis - 14.6 ov), 7-115 (Gerald Coetzee - 16.4 ov), 8-120 (Mohammad Mohsin - 17.2 ov)

Playing XI

Texas Super Kings 

• Devon Conway(WK)
• Joshua Tromp
• Faf du Plessis(C)
• Milind Kumar
• Marcus Stoinis
• Aaron Hardie
• Naveen ul Haq
• Gerald Coetzee
• Zia-ul-Haq
• Calvin Savage
• Mohammad Mohsin

Los Angeles Knight Riders 

• Unmukt Chand(WK)
• Nitish Kumar
• Jason Roy
• David Miller
• Andre Russell
• Sunil Narine(C)
• Shakib Al Hasan
• Ali Khan
• Spencer Johnson
• Derone Davis

 

Match Details:

Date: Saturday, July 6, 2024 01:30

Venue: Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas

Toss: Texas Super Kings elected to bowl