As it happened: Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2022, Pune

A team hat-trick as we call it in gully cricket. Jason Holder has Sunil Narine caught at extra cover, Tim Southee at long leg, and then the last pair manages a run-out off the hat-trick ball. KKR are bowled out for 101. LSG are on top of the table. We leave you with a teaser from our report. Thanks for joining us.

"Lucknow Super Giants went to the top of the table with three matches to go with a comprehensive win against Kolkata Knight Riders, who now stood all but knocked out.

Knowing the slow Pune pitch would be ill-suited to shot-making in the middle overs, LSG went hard against the new ball despite the dismissal of captain KL Rahul without a ball faced. The expected slowdown ensued as balls bowled into the pitch proved to be difficult to score off, but a 30-run 19th over by Shivam Mavi sent them on their way to a par-plus total.

The LSG pace attack then bounced the KKR top order out, reducing them to 25 for 4 before Andre Russell created excitement with his 19-ball 45 but he, too, fell to a short ball. The end came swift as KKR were bowled out for 101 with 5.3 overs to spare. Two wicket-maidens and just three scores in double told the story of the defence."

KKR were so far behind the game Andre Russell had no luxury of letting short balls go. He hit five sixes and three fours in his 45 off 19 balls, but eventually Avesh Khan drew a top edge on a short ball that flew to third man. At 85 for 6, this game is all but done. Only Sunil Narine left.

Here's over number 9 then. KKR now 9% favourites to win.

The short ball is hanging so much above their heads that Nitish Rana is hanging back all the time, and Avesh Khan sneaks in a full ball to crash into the exposed stumps. At 25 for 4, KKR stand only a 4% chance of winning, that too thanks to Andre Russell.

Another wicket maiden, over No. 7:

Now a third wicket with the bouncer. This time Jason Holder follows the retreating Aaron Finch with one, and Quinton de Kock runs towards short fine leg to accept the top edge. All three wickets so far have been sharp bouncers at the body. KKR 23 for 3 in the sixth over. LSG 92% favourites to win.

Dushmantha Chameera has matches Mohsin Khan's pace and has bowled hard lengths to bother KKR from both ends. And when you can bowl that fast, bowling short of Shreyas Iyer is never a bad bet. He has Iyer caught at square leg to make it 41 for 2 in four overs. Eyes off the ball, still trying to keep it down from above the shoulder, manages only a top edge. LSG are 88% favourites to win.

A wicket-maiden from Mohsin Khan to start the defence. High pace, movement each way, and then the coup de grâce: a sharp bouncer to get the top edge last ball. B Indrajith out for 0 off 6 balls. LSG 73% favourites to win.

Tim Southee drags them back with just a four-run final over, but LSG won't mind 176 on a pitch that is gripping. Deepak Hooda says the pitch is on the slower side, and that the total is good on this pitch. The back-of-a-length ball, he says, is not quite coming on, he says. Both slower ones and on-pace deliveries. It is a good total for this wicket, Hooda says, but you never know what can happen in cricket.

So Sunil Narine and Andre Russell are 3 for 42 in the seven overs between them. Add Tim Southee, and it becomes 70 in 11. It is the other nine that have been taken for a few. Can LSG protect their weak links? And the shorter boundary?

An ordinary over from Shivam Mavi after three good ones, He foes have a small leg boundary to contend with, but Mavi has not helped himself by letting them target that boundary. He is extremely lucky thaat Marcus Stoinis has hit a slot ball straight to deep midwicket where Shreyas Iyer takes the catch and immediately raises his hand to sort of ask what that ball was. Thirty off the over, and LSG now are 172 with one over to go. Those two final sixes come courtesy Jason Holder.

Overs 16, 17 and 18 produce just one boundary, that too off an edge. These are bowled by Sunil Narine, Shivam Mavi and Andre Russell. Seems like Marcus Stoinis has set himself up to bat through and take toll of the last two overs. This doesn't look like a 180 pitch by the sights of the grip every time you roll your fingers on the ball. Projected score 162.

Just as Krunal Pandya is catching up on the strike rate, Andre Russell has him with a short ball. Again the lure of the short side has Pandya playing the upper-cut, but this pitch is slow so Pandya gets no distance on the shot. Caught at deep point for 25 off 26. They are 123 for 4 in 15 overs. Projected score 171

The pressure being created from Krunal Pandya's end, the shorter leg boundary, the short ball from Andre Russell, and Deepak Hooda can't hold himself back. However, the ball gets big on him, and he has mis-hit the hook to deep midwicket for an easy catch. He is gone for 41 off 27. At 107 for 3 in the 13th, their projected score now is 176.

He is the only successful bowler in the 12 overs so far, and despite conceding the six early on in the powerplay, Sunil Narine has returned first take out Quinton de Kock and then shut down Krunal Pandya, who is now 13 off 18. LSG 104 for 2 in 12 overs. Projected score 179.

Sunil Narine has taken just the eight wickets this IPL at well under six an over because teams have been taking it easy against him and targeting the others. Quinton de Kock, though, is in the mood to go after everybody and is looking to hit him over extra cover off the back foot. The offbreaks grips in the surface, and it hurries him into hitting much straighter than he wants to. Caught at long-off for 50 off 29. It is 76 for 2 in eight overs. Projected score 179.

KL Rahul is standing up in the front row to applaud Quinton de Kock as he brings up his fifty just off 27 balls. Four fours and three sixes in it. LSG 73 for 1 in seven. Projected score 183.

One shot off a fifty inside the powerplay. Quinton de Kock is letting Kolkata Knight Riders experience the fury he is himself feeling at having run him captain out. He has been quick to pounce on anything short, and KKR have overcompensated on the fuller side often too. Deepak Hooda has taken care of spin, hitting Sunil Narine for a six and Anukul roy for a four. De Kock is 44 of 23, Hooda 22 off 13. LSG 66 for 1 in six.

Dubious captaincy from KKR too, giving rookie Harshit Rana the most difficult powerplay over, the sixth.

He has been called on to bowl inside the powerplay today but here is a Maruti Suzuki ASKcricinfo stat: Best economy rate in the middle overs in IPL 2022 (min ten overs).

Quinton de Kock is making amends for running out KL Rahul by getting stuck into Tim Southee in the third over. LSG 29 for 1 in three overs.

In the first over, KL Rahul has trusted Quinton de Kock's call and set off, but de Kock has played this straight to short cover, which he realises when it is too late. Rahul is gone without facing a ball. Again time for the debate: are quick singles worth it in T20?

Shreyas Iyer has won the toss, and Kolkata Knight Riders have asked Lucknow Super Giants to bat first. However, KKR's best bowler this IPL, Umesh Yadav, has pulled his calf and has been replaced with Harshit Rana.

LSG, on the other hand, have got good news on the fitness front: Avesh Khan is back, and he is replacing K Gowtham.

Lucknow Super Giants 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 KL Rahul (capt.), 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Marcus Stoinis, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Avesh Khan, 9 Mohsin Khan, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Ravi Bishnoi

Kolkata Knight Riders 1 Aaron Finch, 2 B Indrajith (wk), 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt.), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Anukul Roy, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Shivam Mavi