Dangerous sixes, and friends face off
Plays of the Day from the Champions League T20 game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Warriors in Bangalore
Colin Ingram aims for the press box • Associated Press
The tag team
In the ninth over, JJ Smuts drilled the ball back past Yusuf Pathan. Brett Lee hared across to his left from long-on and dived to get a hand on the ball, only for it to ricochet off his knee and towards the boundary. Shakib Al Hasan was tearing to his right from long-off, and it was his turn to dive and prevent the ball from reaching the rope. He too couldn't stop it completely and Lee, who was on the floor after his earlier attempt, clasped the ball as it dribbled back towards him to finally get it under control.
In the ninth over, JJ Smuts drilled the ball back past Yusuf Pathan. Brett Lee hared across to his left from long-on and dived to get a hand on the ball, only for it to ricochet off his knee and towards the boundary. Shakib Al Hasan was tearing to his right from long-off, and it was his turn to dive and prevent the ball from reaching the rope. He too couldn't stop it completely and Lee, who was on the floor after his earlier attempt, clasped the ball as it dribbled back towards him to finally get it under control.
The straight six
Last evening, Kieron Pollard had given the journalists in attendance an anxious moment with a murderous hit that threatened to crash into the press box before coasting just wide. Colin Ingram got it on target this time, clouting Shakib Al Hasan over the sightscreen and towards the glass front of the press box. Three cameramen, positioned just in front of the media enclosure, were the first targets in the ball's path. Even as the ball homed in towards him, the cameraman in charge of tracking it showed his professionalism by nervelessly swiveling the camera towards the projectile. It flew a yard wide of him, and his colleague jumped across to attempt an overhead catch. He could only palm it over, taking the sting off it and the ball hit the glass with a soft thud.
Last evening, Kieron Pollard had given the journalists in attendance an anxious moment with a murderous hit that threatened to crash into the press box before coasting just wide. Colin Ingram got it on target this time, clouting Shakib Al Hasan over the sightscreen and towards the glass front of the press box. Three cameramen, positioned just in front of the media enclosure, were the first targets in the ball's path. Even as the ball homed in towards him, the cameraman in charge of tracking it showed his professionalism by nervelessly swiveling the camera towards the projectile. It flew a yard wide of him, and his colleague jumped across to attempt an overhead catch. He could only palm it over, taking the sting off it and the ball hit the glass with a soft thud.
The face-off
It's not often that close friends Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher are on opposing teams. They have spent well over a decade in the South African national side, and even belonged to the same IPL team in the first four seasons. Dale Steyn, not involved in this match, tweeted that he wanted Kallis to bowl at Boucher just to see the banter between them. The first ball of the 18th over, Kallis sent down a low full toss that Boucher mistimed towards mid-on for a single, prompting some advice from the bowler. On the third ball of the over, Boucher moved across and played an inventive twirl to send another low full toss past short fine leg for four. He repeated the shot on fourth ball. Now, it was Boucher doing the talking. Steyn was thrilled: "OMG I'm loving this," he tweeted immediately after the second four.
It's not often that close friends Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher are on opposing teams. They have spent well over a decade in the South African national side, and even belonged to the same IPL team in the first four seasons. Dale Steyn, not involved in this match, tweeted that he wanted Kallis to bowl at Boucher just to see the banter between them. The first ball of the 18th over, Kallis sent down a low full toss that Boucher mistimed towards mid-on for a single, prompting some advice from the bowler. On the third ball of the over, Boucher moved across and played an inventive twirl to send another low full toss past short fine leg for four. He repeated the shot on fourth ball. Now, it was Boucher doing the talking. Steyn was thrilled: "OMG I'm loving this," he tweeted immediately after the second four.
The let-off
Kallis would have been less upset with Boucher after the third over of the chase. He has been in fine form with the bat all tournament and he began ominously today as well, hooking Lonwabo Tsotsobe for a six behind square leg. Off the next ball, a short of length delivery angling away, he attempted a slash which resulted in a top-edge towards Boucher. The wicketkeeper was a bit slow to react and though he jumped to his right, he couldn't latch on to a one-handed chance, immediately improving Kallis' mood.
Kallis would have been less upset with Boucher after the third over of the chase. He has been in fine form with the bat all tournament and he began ominously today as well, hooking Lonwabo Tsotsobe for a six behind square leg. Off the next ball, a short of length delivery angling away, he attempted a slash which resulted in a top-edge towards Boucher. The wicketkeeper was a bit slow to react and though he jumped to his right, he couldn't latch on to a one-handed chance, immediately improving Kallis' mood.
Siddarth Ravindran is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo