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Mumbai win by 92 runs Over 16 Malinga W-W- : 95-9 - WICKET! X2! Malinga cleans up, knocking over Mendis and Dinda with successive deliveries. He's denied a shot at a hat-trick because Anureet Singh, who twisted his ankle in the field during the opening over of the innings, won't come out and bat. Over 15 Khan 1-0-1-1-W-4 : 95-7 - WICKET! Just as it looks like Shukla has managed a six with a decent shot over long-on, the ball dips and Jayasuriya takes a good catch on the boundary. It would have gone over the rope but for the Sri Lankan's catch. Sharma slaps the final ball of the over through cover for four. Over 14 Bravo 2-W-1-0-0-4 : 88-6 - WICKET! The wickets continue to tumble as Yashpal Singh is caught behind off the bowling of Bravo. Ishant Sharma comes in at number eight, which is hopefully a hopeful promotion by Kolkata rather than a sad indictment on the batting to come. Shukla gets a short ball away for four over midwicket to give the Kolkata dancing girls a chance to keep warm by showing their moves. Over 13 Nayar W-1-W-0-0-0 : 81-5 - WICKET! Ganguly comes down the pitch and goes for the big hit over long-off, but succeeds only in scooping the ball up in the air for Bravo to catch at cover. WICKET! After a Singh single, Arindam Ghosh is out first ball with a lame dismissal. He just chips it straight to short midwicket for a simple catch. Over 12 Tendulkar 1-1-1-1-1-1 : 80-3 - Tendulkar continues and why not? After all a wicket or two and some cheap overs would guarantee the man of the match award, even if that should be in the bag already. The contest may be over here but the crowd are in full voice, their throats no doubt lubricated by a public holiday's worth of drinking. Over 11 Nayar 1-W-1-1-1-0 : 74-3 - WICKET! Having been rather ineffective throughout his run-a-ball 24, Hodge departs after going for the big heave and missing a straight one, which darts into his off-stump. Yashpal Singh is the new batsman, but can only get singles. Half-time: Kolkata basically need to replicate what Tendulkar and Jayasuriya did in Mumbai's opening ten overs. The Knight Riders need 118 runs to win at 11.8 per over. Over 10 Tendulkar 1-0-1-1-1-1 : 70-2 - Tendulkar brings himself on to bowl and has no problem in maintaining the pressure. Just five from the over, and Kolkata will have plenty to chat about during the break. Over 9 Nayar 4-1-1-1-0-1 : 65-2 - Abhishek Nayar is introduced as Mumbai's fifth bowler, and Hodge drives him through extra cover for four. Just four more singles from the over though. The problem here is that the batsmen aren't putting any pressure on the bowlers - they're not moving around in their crease or forcing them to think outside the box. Instead all they have to do is land it on the spot and the batsmen are powerless. Over 8 Harbhajan 1-1-1-2-1-1 : 57-2 - The match continues to run away from Kolkata at full tilt as boundaries prove elusive. Ganguly square drives for two, but otherwise it's an over of singles as Harbhajan continues. Over 7 Khan 0-2-0-1-0-0 : 50-2 - Zaheer Khan returns and Hodge dabs him wide of third man for a couple. But it's a top over from Zaheer as just three come from it and Kolkata slip deeper into the mire. Over 6 Harbhajan 0-0-4-4-0-0 : 47-2 - Harbhajan Singh comes on for the final over of the powerplay, but with fielding restrictiuons still in place he suffers as a short ball is cut to the cover boundary. Tendulkar then misfields at cover to allow another four on the off-side, but noi more runs come from the over and so the required run rate slips above 10 per over. Over 5 Bravo 0-0-4-6-1-4 : 39-2 - Ganguly decides he's going to take Bravo on, and comes down the track to smash a short ball through the off-side and another delivery over extra cover for a handsome six. A single hands Hodge strike, and he gets one away very fine on the leg-side for four. Kolkata not going down without a fight here. Over 4 Malinga 1wd-0-0-1-1-4-0 : 24-2 - Malinga's bowling horizontally at quite a pace here - in the 140s - and the combination of angle and speed is proving a real problem for Brad Hodge and Sourav Ganguly. Eventually Hodge connects with one and sends it racing through cover for four. But one boundary an over is not enough... Over 3 Bravo 6-1wd-1-0-1-0-W : 17-2 - Dwayne Bravo is introduced, and his fellow West Indian greets him with a towering six over cow corner. Bravo almost exacts revenge later in the over as Gayle pushes one back, but the bowler drops a sharp one-handed chance diving to his right. WICKET! Gets him next ball! It's a shorter one which gets big on Gayle and glances off the shoulder of the bat on its way to Tendulkar, who's standing in a second slip position. That's the ball-game, more or less. Over 2 Malinga 0-1-2nb-1-0-0-0-W : 8-1 - Lasith Malinga's first ball is a ripper of a yorker, which Gayle jams his bat down on in the nick of time. However his slower ball goes so badly wrong that while the keeper can't collect it, fine leg can - it was that wide! WICKET! Malinga is soon back on song, and this time he nails his slower ball as McCullum misjudges the pace of the ball and just pops a catch up for Duminy at point. Over 1 Khan 0-1-0-0-2-1 : 4-0 - Zaheer Khan opens the bowling and the Kolkata openers allow themselves a few sighters before Gayle drives over mid-off for a couple. Both batsmen seem to appreciate that a lot rests on their shoulders so they should allow themselves to get a feel for conditions before letting rip.
Kolkata need 188 to win at 9.4 runs per over Over 20 Gayle 1-1-3-1-2-2 : 187-6 - More comedy fielding as long-off slips and almost allows a ball to trickle over the boundary before recovering his footing to put in a dive and save a run. A couple of twos make it ten from the final over. Over 19 Sharma 0-0-2-4-W-2 : 177-6 - Sharma charges in off his super-long run-up, and manages a couple of dot balls before a comical double misfield by the ninja Dinda at long-on allows Dhawan a couple. With fine leg up in the circle, Dhawan then takes a risk and steps inside the line to lift the ball for four over the man. WICKET! But then he's gone! Dhawan comes down the track and goes for the big drive over extra cover, only to nick one through to McCullum. Over 18 Mendis 0-1-1-2-2-1 : 169-5 - Mendis continues to enjoy more succes without subcontinental batsmen to read him and swat him for easy boundaries. Seven from the over, and Kolkata aren't out of this just yet - if they can keep the runs down in these last two overs then they're in with a chance. Over 17 Shukla 0-1-1-4-1lb-W : 162-5 - Laxmi Shukla goes into his final over, but bowls a high full toss which Duminy times beautifully to find the cover boundary. WICKET! Shukla bounces Bravo with the final ball, and the West Indian gets a top edge out towards square leg where his fellow countryman Gayle trots back to take the catch. Over 16 Mendis W-0-1-1-1-1 : 155-4 - WICKET! The ball tickles off Nayar's pads to short fine leg and the batsman sets off, but Duminy immediately yells 'no' and sends him back. He doesn't make it, and has only himself to blame because it was Duminy's call to make. Dwayne Bravo joins Duminy in the middle, and Mumbai need a quick re-build before the final thrash. Over 15 Shukla 0-1-0-W-2-1 : 151-3 - WICKET! After growing frustrated due to a couple of dot balls, Jayasuriya comes down the wicket and slashes the ball straight to point. That's Shukla's second wicket as he and Hodge continue to reel in Mumbai. Abhishek Nayar is the new man in, and he gets two behind point to get off the mark. Over 14 Hodge 1-6-6-2-W-1 : 147-2 - Jayasuriya hands Harbhajan the strike, and Bhajji goes ballistic with sixes over long-off and cow corner. Devastating. WICKET! But then Hodge serves up a full toss, and Bhajji hits it straight down cow corner's throat. Well, it was good while it lasted. JP Duminy gets a big roar as he comes to the crease, and gets off the mark straight away. Over 13 Shukla 4-W-0-4-0-0 : 131-1 - WICKET! Finally, Kolkata have a breakthrough. Tendulkar gets a thick edge down the third man boundary, but then shuffles across his stumps and misses a straight one. Russell Tiffin correctly gives him out lbw. Interestingly enough, it's Harbhajan Singh who comes in at number three as Mumbai look to maintain the tempo. He slams his third ball to cow corner for four. Over 12 Hodge 1-2-0-0-1-1 : 123-0 - It's the cheapest over of the innings to date, and Hodge almost as Tendulkar caught off a mis-hit. In the end it falls safely, but there are just signs of the run rate slowing. Over 11 Shukla 1-4-0-0-1-1 : 118-0 - No sign of the break in play messing with Mumbai's momentum - although they manage a relatively small seven from the over, they keep their wickets and Jayasuriya plays a clever flick behind square on the leg-side for four. Over 10 Hodge 1-0-4-1-1-1 : 111-0 - Not quite knowing where to turn, McCullum opts for the experience of Brad Hodge. But it's Baz himself who mucks up this time, failing to stay down as Tendulkar misses a delivery and the ball goes straight between the keeper's legs. Could have been a catch, or a stumping. The halfway break comes for a grateful Kolkata side, with Mumbai in an incredibly dominant position. Over 9 Mendis 6-1-6-1-2-1 : 103-0 - The brutality continues with Jayasuriya smashing six over long-off and Tendulkar thrashing a six of his own over wide long-on to go to his fifty in 34 balls. A single brings up the hundred in just 52 balls. Over 8 Gayle 1-6-1-1-1-4 : 86-0 - This is carnage. Chris Gayle is asked to curb the run flow, but instead he's hit onto the stadium roof at wide fine leg! After coolong off with a couple of singles, Tendulkar then plays a deft guide down to third man for four, showing that he can do quaint as well as merciless clubbing. Over 7 Mendis 0-2-1-1-6-1 : 72-0 - Ajantha Mendis, still called 'the mystery man' by lazy commentators the world over, is introduced but gets hit back over his head for a couple second ball by Tendulkar. Glory be! That one's gone miles! Tendulkar gets hold of it and hits him out of the ground at cow corner. Have Kolkata lost already? Over 6 Ganguly 1-1-0-2-6-6 : 61-0 - Last season's most economical bowler, Sourav Ganguly, is called into action. That's right - Ganguly was the IPL's best bowler in terms of economy last year. He starts well, but then drops criminally short to Jayasuriya, who is dropped by the ball boy on the other side of the square leg boundary. The final ball is pitched up, but Jayasuriya swings through his arc to launch the ball into the second tier at cow corner with a mighty wallop. Mumbai are cruising, and the PE band are in full swing. Over 5 Sharma 0-0-6-0-0-1 : 45-0 - McCullum sticks with Sharma in spite of his waywardness in the last over. It looks a good decision until Sharma drops short and is pulled over wide long-on for six! Incredible shot! You see a lot of meaningless sixes in this competition, but that was worth cherishing because it wasn't such a terrible delivery but he was onto it so quickly. Over 4 Dinda 0-3-0-4-1-4 : 38-0 - Ninja Dinda continues, and almost gets Jayasuriya as the Sri Lankan comes down the pitch and just clears extra cover. It doesn't quite reach the boundary so the batsmen run three. That brings Tendulkar on strike, and he hammers a late cut over backward point for four. He then drives to mid-off where Sourav Ganguly makes a superb diving stop to save three runs. The final ball of the over is whipped off Jayasuriya's pads for four down to fine leg. Poor delivery, and Munbai are off to a flier. Over 3 Sharma 5wd-0-1wd-0-0-0-0-4 : 26-0 - It's a shocker from Sharma, who bowls so wide down the leg-side that Brendon McCullum can't even stop it, and he follows up with another wide two deliveries later. Kolkata not exactly helping themselves here. The lanky speedster makes up for it somewhat by tying Tendulkar up for a few balls and has an lbw shout correctly turned down because it was quite clearly heading down leg. However the final ball is a touch too wide and Tendulkar finds the gap behind square on the off-side as he cuts away for four. Over 2 Dinda 6-0-0-1wd-0-4-1 : 16-0 - Bang! Great stroke from Tendulkar, who uses the pace and bounce to lift the ball onto - and i mean 'onto' - the third man boundary. Landed right on the toblerone thingy. Ashok Dinda, the ninja with the black Knight Riders headband, bowls a bit fuller and manages to tuck Tendulkar up until the Little Maestro just steps inside the line to clip it through square leg for four. Over 1 Sharma 1-0-0-3-0-0 : 4-0 - Jayasuriya gets off the mark straight away with a hacked inside edge to the leg-side, and after being beaten all ends up by a jaffa that darted away to beat the inside edge, Tendulkar follows suit with a clip down to fine leg for three. Anureet Singh does the fielding on the boundary and does himself an ankle injury, so there's a hold-up in play as he receives some medical attention. Drum roll please: Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya are out in the middle ready to roll, and Ishant Sharma will bowl the first over for the Knight Riders. Advantage Mumbai then, because so far batting second under lights has proved very difficult. That might not make such a big difference in games up on the highveld but at sea level, where Port Elizabeth is, batting first is a big advantage.
Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders: Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Bradley Hodge, Saurav Ganguly, Yashpal Singh, Arindam Ghosh, Laxmi Shukla, Ishant Sharma, Ajantha Mendis, Anureet Singh, Ashok Dinda. Mumbai have won the toss and opted to wield the willow first up. Hello and welcome to game 17 of the 2009 Indian Premier League. This one sees Mumbai - fifth in the standings - and Kolkata - sixth in the standings - meet in Port Elizabeth.
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