The unusual no-ball
Plays of the day from the IPL final between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab
George Binoy
01-Jun-2014
Sunil Narine struck first ball, dropped a sitter and then had a stumping off a no-ball • BCCI
The promotion
Virender Sehwag had just been dismissed and attention turned to the Kings XI Punjab dugout to see whether Wriddhiman Saha or Glenn Maxwell would come in at No. 3. Neither did. The captain George Bailey had promoted himself, batting at one drop for the first time this season. The experiment failed. Bailey walked too far across his stumps to his second ball and was bowled by Sunil Narine's straighter delivery. Narine had struck with his first ball of the evening, but his game deteriorated rapidly and he finished by equalling his most expensive figures in Twenty20 cricket - 46 in four overs.
Virender Sehwag had just been dismissed and attention turned to the Kings XI Punjab dugout to see whether Wriddhiman Saha or Glenn Maxwell would come in at No. 3. Neither did. The captain George Bailey had promoted himself, batting at one drop for the first time this season. The experiment failed. Bailey walked too far across his stumps to his second ball and was bowled by Sunil Narine's straighter delivery. Narine had struck with his first ball of the evening, but his game deteriorated rapidly and he finished by equalling his most expensive figures in Twenty20 cricket - 46 in four overs.
The long waits
The Chinnaswamy Stadium is a batsman-friendly venue. The pitch is true, the outfield is quick and the boundaries are small. Even mis-hits go the distance here. Kings XI, however, had not hit a six for 7.5 overs and were flailing against spin. Until Manan Vohra finally executed perfectly, getting down on one knee and slog-sweeping Piyush Chawla against the turn over the midwicket boundary. It was the first of ten sixes in the innings. In the chase, Knight Riders also took 6.2 overs to hit their first six.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium is a batsman-friendly venue. The pitch is true, the outfield is quick and the boundaries are small. Even mis-hits go the distance here. Kings XI, however, had not hit a six for 7.5 overs and were flailing against spin. Until Manan Vohra finally executed perfectly, getting down on one knee and slog-sweeping Piyush Chawla against the turn over the midwicket boundary. It was the first of ten sixes in the innings. In the chase, Knight Riders also took 6.2 overs to hit their first six.
The late reactions
In the 13th over, Vohra stepped out to Shakib Al Hasan and nearly yorked himself. He managed to open the face of his bat and squeeze the ball out towards the right of short third man. Narine was slow to react and, by the time he dived, the ball was past him. Gautam Gambhir was at backward point but he began to chase the ball only after it was well past Narine and the ball beat him to the boundary by a small margin.
In the 13th over, Vohra stepped out to Shakib Al Hasan and nearly yorked himself. He managed to open the face of his bat and squeeze the ball out towards the right of short third man. Narine was slow to react and, by the time he dived, the ball was past him. Gautam Gambhir was at backward point but he began to chase the ball only after it was well past Narine and the ball beat him to the boundary by a small margin.
The unusual no-ball
In the 16th over, Narine dropped a skier from Wriddhiman Saha off his own bowling and conceded a single. The next ball, however, he seemed to have Vohra stumped after the batsman was beaten on the cut. Replays showed the back leg was well out of the crease when the wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa broke the stumps. However, replays also showed Uthappa had been a bit too eager. The third umpire was quick to spot that Uthappa's gloves had been a fraction in front of the stumps as he collected the ball. A no-ball was called, Vohra was reprieved, and he drilled the next delivery down the ground for four.
In the 16th over, Narine dropped a skier from Wriddhiman Saha off his own bowling and conceded a single. The next ball, however, he seemed to have Vohra stumped after the batsman was beaten on the cut. Replays showed the back leg was well out of the crease when the wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa broke the stumps. However, replays also showed Uthappa had been a bit too eager. The third umpire was quick to spot that Uthappa's gloves had been a fraction in front of the stumps as he collected the ball. A no-ball was called, Vohra was reprieved, and he drilled the next delivery down the ground for four.
The counterattacks
Three Knight Riders batsmen fell to skied shots off legspinner Karanveer Singh, but before the catches were taken they ran hard and ensured the well-set Manish Pandey - and not the new batsman - was on strike. Pandey responded to each setback by hitting the next ball for six, ensuring the pressure of a daunting target was continuously released. Gautam Gambhir was caught at long-on, Pandey cleared extra cover; and when both Yusuf Pathan and Ryan ten Doeschate were held at long-on, Pandey chose that very area to hit his sixes of the deliveries immediately after the dismissals.
Three Knight Riders batsmen fell to skied shots off legspinner Karanveer Singh, but before the catches were taken they ran hard and ensured the well-set Manish Pandey - and not the new batsman - was on strike. Pandey responded to each setback by hitting the next ball for six, ensuring the pressure of a daunting target was continuously released. Gautam Gambhir was caught at long-on, Pandey cleared extra cover; and when both Yusuf Pathan and Ryan ten Doeschate were held at long-on, Pandey chose that very area to hit his sixes of the deliveries immediately after the dismissals.
The two-handed grab
In the 12th over of the chase, from Akshar Patel, Pandey closed the face of his bat too early and got a leading edge that lobbed towards cover. Bailey, realising the ball was going to fall over his head, back-pedalled furiously and reached out behind him with his right hand. That tough first chance was the easiest of the sequence. The ball popped out of his right hand, and as Bailey began to fall to the ground, he grabbed at the ball with his left, getting a touch on it but nothing more. As soon as he hit the turf, Bailey swung around, collected the ball and threw at the non-striker's end. Pandey was well short, but Patel was not at the stumps to collect the throw.
In the 12th over of the chase, from Akshar Patel, Pandey closed the face of his bat too early and got a leading edge that lobbed towards cover. Bailey, realising the ball was going to fall over his head, back-pedalled furiously and reached out behind him with his right hand. That tough first chance was the easiest of the sequence. The ball popped out of his right hand, and as Bailey began to fall to the ground, he grabbed at the ball with his left, getting a touch on it but nothing more. As soon as he hit the turf, Bailey swung around, collected the ball and threw at the non-striker's end. Pandey was well short, but Patel was not at the stumps to collect the throw.
The leap
David Miller, standing at long-off, had just watched Yusuf Pathan hit Karanveer Singh for six over extra cover. The next ball was coming at him. Miller stationed himself on the edge of the boundary, coiled his body, and sprung up really high with one hand stretched above his head to try and snatch the ball as it flew over his head. It was just out of reach though and Miller crash-landed on the boundary rope on his stomach, bruised but not broken.
David Miller, standing at long-off, had just watched Yusuf Pathan hit Karanveer Singh for six over extra cover. The next ball was coming at him. Miller stationed himself on the edge of the boundary, coiled his body, and sprung up really high with one hand stretched above his head to try and snatch the ball as it flew over his head. It was just out of reach though and Miller crash-landed on the boundary rope on his stomach, bruised but not broken.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo