Narine, Lynn script win over Bangalore with attacking display

Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn made the short work of a 159-run target, with an aggressive 105-run opening stand that helped Kolkata thrash Bangalore by six wickets, with 29 balls to spare, in the Indian Twenty20 competition at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on Sunday.

Bangalore's batting effort was patchy, after they were put in, with Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers failing to impress. It was Travis Head and Mandeep Singh that helped them post 158, which they hoped would be enough to defend. However, Kolkata's openers tore their bowlers apart, with Lynn, back from injury, smashing Aniket Choudhary for two fours and a six in the first over itself. The second over from Samuel Badree was eventless, before Lynn clubbed Yuzvendra Chahal for three boundaries in the third. Narine, till then, was latent.

He came alive in the fourth over by hammering Badree for three sixes and a four. That was the start of an awe-inspiring display, as Narine tore into Sreenath Aravind, smashing him for four sixes and a six, in the fifth over, to record the fastest fifty in the history of the tournament. Lynn responded with two sixes and a four in the next over, after which Narine departed for a 17-ball 54. Lynn fell an over later for a 22-ball 50. The duo had laid a 105-run platform that helped Kolkata cruise to victory.