Australian opener Mitchell Marsh missed out on a second IPL century in three innings, though his brutal 90 was the foundation around which Lucknow Super Giants eked out a seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings on Friday.
Marsh, who had lashed 111 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last Thursday, hammered nine fours and seven sixes in his 38-ball blitz in Lucknow as the home side made light of Chennai’s 187-5, built around a fluent 71 by Kartik Sharma and a grandstand finish from Shivam Dube, whose unbeaten 32 came off 16 deliveries.
Chennai, whose late surge after a poor start netted them three consecutive victories coming into this fixture, must have fancied their chances on a surface that offered considerable bounce and was superbly exploited by Lucknow left-arm quick Akash Singh.
The 24-year-old Akash, playing his first game of the season, winkled out Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson and Urvil Patel during an unchanged four-over new-ball burst of three for 26 before Kartik and Dube hauled the five-time former champions to what seemed to be a challenging total.
Marsh, however, made it appear positively miniscule with a breathtaking onslaught.
The Australian T20 skipper got the chase underway with two fours in the first over, from Mukesh Choudhary, before using his trademark power to brazen effect.
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He unloaded a series of bruising pulls while fellow Australian and opener Josh Inglis was largely content to watch the entertainment from the best seat in the ground.
Marsh was particularly severe on Anshul Kamboj, Chennai’s leading wicket-taker who was smashed for four sixes and a four in the fifth over.
With their best bowler neutralised, Chennai caved in, their designs of breaking into the top four for the first time since the tournament began emphatically dashed.
Inglis and Marsh raced to an opening alliance of 135 in just 70 deliveries when, against the run of play, the former was caught in the deep off Choudhary.
One brought two when Marsh was dismissed next ball. New batter Nicholas Pooran’s straight drive was deflected on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end by the bowler with Marsh, backing up, well short of his ground, 10 short of a third IPL hundred.
Lucknow, already eliminated from the play-off race, weren’t to be denied as Pooran applied the finishing touches.
Their fourth win notwithstanding, they still remained rooted to the bottom of the table.
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