Rajasthan Royals restrict Kings XI Punjab to 145/6

Rajasthan Royals bowlers maintained discipline despite an attractive half-century by Shaun Marsh and an equally useful contribution from Adam Gilchrist, to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 145 for six in a Pepsi Indian Premier League match here today.

Marsh (77) and Gilchrist (42) added 102 runs for the second wicket but Rajasthan Royals bowlers, led by Kevon Cooper (3/23), put the brakes during the death overs.

The last seven overs of the innings produced only 45 runs and Kings XI lost five wickets in the process.

Ajit Chandila got a breakthrough in the first over when Mandeep Singh (0) lobbed a simple return catch to the bowler with not a run on the board.

Gilchrist, who had dropped himself from the playing XI, however, batted positively from the onset. He started off with a cover-drive off S Sreesanth.

A flurry off boundaries followed from Gilchrist's bat as he struck two meaty blows off Sreesanth's next over. When left-arm seamer James Faulkner came into bowl, he steered successive deliveries to the boundary with the home team taking off after the first over dismissal.

Marsh, who had come in after Mandeep's dismissal, was boosted by Gilchrist's counter-attack as he lofted Chandila for a six and followed that with a boundary. 14 runs came off the seventh over.

The 100 came up in the 13th over while Marsh duly reached his 50 off 44 balls as he played Faulkner towards fine leg.

However, soon after the century stand, Gilchrist was dismissed by West Indian Kevon Cooper as he committed early to a slower delivery. He faced 32 balls and hit six fours.

David Hussey (1) was castled by Watson but there was no stopping Marsh as he hit Faulkner over long-on for his second six and followed that with a cover-driven boundary.

When Cooper bowled Marsh with another slower delivery, he had faced 63 balls and hit six boundaries and two sixes.

Man of the moment, David Miller, was also snapped up by Cooper with Rahane taking a catch at deep mid-wicket. The momentum was lost as Kings XI finished much below what was expected of them after being 100/1 after 13 overs.