Bangalore win thriller

PRETORIA: Royal Challengers Bangalore, buoyed by Ross Taylor’s return to form, overhauled a formidable 174 target set by Kolkata Knight Riders to boost their chances of making it to the top four, winning by six wickets in a tense encounter in Centurion.

Brendon McCullum’s determined innings (84 0ff 64 balls) was in vain, as Taylor marked a timely comeback, feasting on some shoddy bowling by the seamers at the death, to inflict yet another defeat for Kolkata. Taylor struck seven fours and five sixes in his unbeaten 33-ball 81.

Kolkata earlier made 173-4. Bangalore needed four runs in the last over bowled by Angelo Mathews. Boucher stole a single off the pad in the first ball and Taylor finished off with a six the next ball.

On Monday, Dwayne Smith smashed a brisk 47 and Rohit Sharma grabbed three quick wickets as Deccan Chargers thrashed Rajasthan Royals by 53 runs. Deccan rode on Smith’s 32-ball knock to post 166-7 before restricting Rajasthan to 113. Swapnil Asnodkar alone offered resistance with a 39-ball 44 for Rajasthan. Chaminda Vaas (2-19) did the early damage and Sharma ensured an easy win with 3-12 off three overs.

Deccan plundered 58 runs in the last five overs, thanks to Smith who smashed four sixes. Yusuf Pathan (3-34) and Ravinder Jadeja (2-26) threatened to restrict Deccan to a modest total before Smith propped up the innings with a 37-run stand for the fifth wicket with Vaas (20). Jadeja also kept pressure on the batsmen and bowled Andrew Symonds, who hit a 19-ball 30.