Aaron Finch’s World Giants joined Asia Lions on top of the points table in the ongoing Legends League Cricket (LLC) Master 2023 with a three-wicket win over India Maharajas at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium in Doha. It was the Giants’s second win in three matches, while the Indian side – led by Harbhajan Singh in place of Gautam Gambhir – succumbed to their third loss in four matches.
World Giants, riding on Chris Gayle’s commanding knock of 57, recorded a three-wicket victory over India Maharajas in the fifth match of the LLC Masters. The ‘Universe Boss’ hit nine powerful boundaries and a six in this 46-ball knock. So dominating was Gayle’s knock that after he fell, World Giants struggled to reach the target and but, in the end, won with eight balls to spare.
World Giants won the toss and elected to field. India Maharajas had a different set of openers as Robin Uthappa opened with Manvinder Bisla. Gautam Gambhir, who had opened with Uthappa and put on an unbeaten 159 runs match winning opening partnership against Asia Lions in the fourth match, was rested. In his absence, it was Harbhajan Singh who led the team.
Suresh Raina began with a boundary off the first ball he faced by edging Mpofu past keeper. In the sixth over, Raina hit Monty Panesar for a six after coming down the track. At the end of the powerplay, the score board read 42 for 2.
Tino Best generated good pace off the wicket in the 11th over while Panesar struck in the 12th over to get Bisla to play a cut shot and edge to wicketkeeper van Wyk for 36. His 34-ball knock had four boundaries. Yusuf Pathan escaped being caught at deep extra cover by Ross Taylor off Best at the score of 3.
Ricardo Powell, who replaced Monty Panesar as the impact player, would have got Raina out at 37 had Finch at cover held on to the powerful shot. India Maharajas went past the 100-run mark in the 15th over through a six by Irfan Pathan off Best over deep mid-wicket. Pathan also hit Powell over long-on for another six. Raina’s brilliant knock of 49 came to an end when he pulled Lee to Taylor in the deep in the 19th over. His 41-ball knock had two boundaries and three sixes.
World Giants opener Chris Gayle gave an aggressive start by hitting Irfan Pathan’s first delivery of the first over for a boundary through the covers and also hitting the third ball for another boundary over mid-off. He also cracked Harbhajan Singh’s fourth and fifth delivery of the second over for boundaries – first through the covers and next through cover point.
Grind, Giggles, and Greatness! Gayle! ___
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Opener Hashim Amla on 1, escaped being caught at mid-on by Binny to the first ball of the third over from Irfan Pathan as the ball popped out during a diving attempt. Gayle continued to pick boundaries with ease smashing Pathan for two boundaries to deep extra cover and another to third man. At the score on 42, Amla got out leg before to Ashok Dinda for 6.
Shane Watson joined Gayle who continued to execute his powerful shots. In the sixth over he smashed Dinda for a boundary, a six and two more consecutive boundaries to take 19 runs off the over. The powerplay yielded 72 runs.
Gayle raced to his half century in 26 balls with nine boundaries and a six. Watson became the second wicket to fall when Tambe clean bowled him for 26 with the second ball of the ninth over. Harbhajan also had Finch who went for a sweep and top edged to Tambe for 5. In the last ten overs, World Giants needed 38 runs.
Yusuf Pathan clean bowled Patel for 12 when 12 runs were needed. Ricardo Powell got run out for 3 and in the end Morne van Wyk hit the winning boundary off Irfan Pathan.
Brief scores: India Maharajas 136/9 in 20 overs (Manvinder Bisla 36, Suresh Raina 49, Irfan Pathan 25, Brett Lee 3/18, Chris Mpofu 2/22, Tino Best 2/27) lost to World Giants 139/7 in 18.4 overs (Chris Gayle 57, Shane Watson 26, Yusuf Pathan 2/14)