Harry Brook, England’s new kid on the block, hammered an unbeaten 100 in 55 deliveries as Sunrisers Hyderabad set Kolkata Knight Riders a daunting target of 229 at a packed Eden Gardens on Friday. If Brook set things rolling with some big hitting, skipper Aiden Markram powered it with a quickfire 50 off just 26 balls. Brook’s century, completed in the final over of the innings, came off 55 balls had had 12 boundaries and three sixes. At the time of going to press, KKR were 82-4 in 8.2 overs.
The visitors were off to a flying start, Brook making the most of wayward opening spells by Umesh Yadav and Lockie Ferguson. The first three overs produced 43 runs, and Sunil Narine had to step in early to stem the flow. It was, however, Andre Russell who made the breakthrough, removing both Mayank Agarwal and Rahul Tripathi in his very first over in IPL-16. However, the big Jamaican had to leave the ground after his second over through a right-leg injury, but came back to bowl just two deliveries in the 18th, a wide and then one that dismissed Abhishek Sharma. He left again, having aggravated the injury, and leaving KKR fans wondering if he will play a part as the Knights chase the huge total.
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Despite the loss of the two early wickets to Russell, Sunrisers would have been reasonably happy that the Powerplay produced 65 runs, thus providing a solid-enough base to build on. And they did. Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, brought on in the 10th over, should have sent but Brook straightaway had he not squandered a caught-and-bowled chance. The Englishman was then on 47. Meanwhile, Markram made sure that the young man didn’t settle down, hoisting him for a six and then punishing him further in his second over, which yielded 14 runs. However, the South African fell soon after completing a fifty that had five sixes and a couple of fours, caught at long-on as he tried to hit Varun Chakravarthy out of the ground.
Suyash was denied a wicket again when Shardul Thakur, KKR’s hero of the last match here, dropped Abhishek Sharma while running in from the point boundary. The southpaw, then on one, went on to score a 17-ball 32. Ironically it was Shardul who pouched him at long-on. Suyash ended up with a dismal 44 from his four overs.
Brief scores
SRH 228-4 (H Brook 100*, A Markram 50, A Sharma 32; A Russell 3-22) v KKR (Scores incomplete)
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