?BANGALORE: Pacer L Balaji bowled Kolkata Knight Riders to their first victory in IPL 2012 against a strong Royal Challengers Bangalore batting line up on Tuesday.
Apart from Balaji, skipper Gautam Gambhir was another hero for the Knight Riders who scored 165 8 and then restricted RCB to just 123 9 with Balaji bagging 4 18.
Balaji formed part of a destructive, three pronged Knight Riders’ pace attack that saw Brett Lee create pressure and Jacques Kallis get the early breakthroughs.
By the time Balaji had finished his quota, Royal Challengers were 61 for 6 after 12 overs.
Tiwary was the only recognised batsmen at the crease and the required run rate was over 13.
It ballooned to over 30 as the innings neared an end, ensuring the Knight Riders were able to comfortably defend a total that, at the halfway mark, appeared a few short.
Despite 165 being the highest total Knight Riders have posted this season, they would have wanted more after establishing a platform from which a score in excess of 200 seemed possible.
Captain Gautam Gambhir opened the batting and combined with Kallis and Manvinder Bisla in two aggressive partnerships to take his team to 125 for 1 in the 14th over.
Gambhir brought up the fastest half century of the tournament so far, off 28 balls, with a lofted shot over cover but could not press on as much as he should have. Bisla was stumped three balls later, in the first boundary free over of the innings and the Knight Riders slid steadily from there.
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