• Du Plessis, Parnell can’t prevent Bangalore defeat

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    The Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered a one-wicket loss to the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL on Monday despite the best efforts of Faf du Plessis and Wayne Parnell.

    Captain Du Plessis hit 79* off 46 balls (five fours, five sixes) as Bangalore posted 212-2 in Bengaluru.

    Parnell, who recently joined RCB as an injury replacement, then took 3-41, including two wickets in his first over.

    But they were overshadowed by the West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran, who smashed the fastest fifty of the IPL season in 15 balls as Lucknow pulled off a stunning chase.

    Lucknow needed five off the last six balls after Ayush Badoni was out hit-wicket for 30 in the penultimate over, hitting his stumps while hammering what would have been a six.

    Mark Wood and Jaydev Unadkat were dismissed in the final over and Ravi Bishnoi was nearly ‘mankaded’ from the last ball.

    With the scores level and a super over beckoning, No 11 Avesh Khan scampered a bye and threw his helmet in celebration.

    Australia’s Marcus Stoinis had earlier clobbered a 30-ball 65, but it was Pooran’s blitz including seven sixes that blew away RCB.

    Virat Kohli, Du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell notched up 15 sixes between them in Bangalore’s 212-2, with 27 hit in the match in total.

    Bangalore struck with three early wickets before Stoinis dominated a fourth-wicket stand of 76 with captain KL Rahul.

    Impact player Karn Sharma broke the partnership as he sent back Stoinis but Bangalore had a new nemesis in Pooran.

    The efforts of Pooran and Stoinis eclipsed the power-hitting from Kohli (61), Du Plessis and Maxwell (59) after Bangalore were put in to bat first.

    Kohli set the tone for Bangalore’s big total with his second fifty of the season in a 96-run opening stand with Du Plessis.

    Maxwell kept up the charge after Kohli’s departure and Du Plessis delivered a flurry of sixes, including a hit of 115m, as he also registered his second half-century of the campaign.

    © Agence France-Presse

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    Simon Borchardt