Failures for Mayers, Pooran as Super Giants miss out

LUCKNOW, India (CMC):

West Indies left-handers Kyle Mayers and Nicholas Pooran both failed as Lucknow Super Giants missed out on a great opportunity to go top of the Indian Premier League table with a disappointing 18-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

In pursuit of a modest target after captain Faf du Plessis (44) and Virat Kohli (31) got RCB up to 126 for nine off their 20 overs, Super Giants suffered a batting meltdown, dismissed for a lowly 108 in the final over.

Krishnappa Gowtham, at number seven, was the only batsman to pass 20 with a top score of 23, but Pooran managed only nine and Mayers, a two-ball ‘duck’.

Super Giants lie third in the standings while RCB are fifth, both teams among five currently on 10 points, two adrift of leaders Gujarat Titans.

Choosing to bat first at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium here Monday, RCB were propelled by du Plessis and Kohli, who put on 62 for the first wicket.

Du Plessis faced 40 balls and struck one four and a six while Kohli struck three fours in a 30-ball knock, but Afghan seamer Naveen-ul-Haq hurt the innings with three for 30 while leg-spinners Amit Mishra and Ravi Bishnoi both claimed two for 21 in support.

In reply, Super Giants lost Mayers to the second ball of the innings, miscuing a big hit to mid-on off seamer Mohammad Siraj, his dismissal setting the tone for the chase as wickets tumbled thereafter.

Pooran struck one six in his seven-ball stay at the crease before he was fifth out at the end of the seventh over, holing out to deep square off leg-spinner Karn Sharma (2-20).