@B0$
Mitchell Marsh's century lit up the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, but Lucknow Super Giants had to hold their nerve with the ball going up against a power-packed Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting line-up. Digvesh Rathi did exactly that as the hosts defended their total of 209 in a game reduced to 19 overs per side, ending a six-game losing streak. RCB were powered by quick-fire knocks from Rajat Patidar and Tim David but fell short, restricted to 203 for 6 chasing a revised target of 213. Despite the loss, RCB held on to their third position on the points table while LSG were still at the bottom of the table.
@B1$
@B2$ Lucknow Super Giants 209/3 in 19 overs [Mitchell Marsh 111 (56), Nicholas Pooran 38 (23), Rishabh Pant 32* (10); Krunal Pandya 1-31] beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 203/6 in 19 overs [Rajat Patidar 61 (31), Tim David 40 (17); Prince Yadav 3-33) by 9 runs (DLS method).
@B3$
Two sixes with a straight bat over the bowler's head - on either side of a small rain break - was how Mitchell Marsh greeted his Australia colleague Josh Hazlewood into the attack in the second over. His opening partner, the 21-year-old Arshin Kulkarni, nearly gave a return catch to Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was playing his 200th IPL game, and was taking his time to settle down.
Meanwhile, Marsh was at his fluent best, carving a Bhuvneshwar delivery over cover for a maximum before striking a four and a six off Krunal Pandya in the fourth over. Rasikh Dar Salam was pulled with disdain by Marsh, who also went over long-on and got a six despite a valiant effort from sub fielder Jordan Cox. By the time Hazlewood completed his second over, the last one of the Powerplay, Marsh raced to a 20-ball fifty as LSG moved to 68 for 0 after six overs - the highest PP score in Lucknow this season.
@B4$
Marsh put away a half-tracker from Suyash Sharma for a six, while Kulkarni got his first boundary with a late cut. The Australian T20 skipper also struck two more fours off Krunal and Suyash before the players left the field again - this time for a lengthier period-due to another spell of rain. LSG had raced to 95 for 0 at that time, with Marsh scoring 76 off those in only 32 balls. After a break of more than 30 minutes, the match resumed with no overs lost.
Kulkarni's struggle ended soon after resumption but this brought Nicholas Pooran to the crease and he struck two fours off Rasikh to get going. Marsh continued from where he left off, thumping a six off Krunal as he entered the 90s. Two fours off Romario Shepherd helped Marsh bring up a 49-ball hundred - his second ton in the IPL - and a six also followed even as it began to rain again and the covers were back, with LSG at 145/1 after 14.
@B5$
After another 30-plus minute break, play began again - this time with one over lost. Marsh, who hit a four off Rasikh, was put down by Devdutt Padikkal off Bhuvneshwar, and Pooran hit a six in the same over. Marsh's outing finally ended when he was caught at deep point off Hazlewood. Rishabh Pant hit a couple of fours and a six in Hazlewood's over. To add more problems for RCB, Jacob Bethell left the field after injuring his finger trying to take a catch. The drops continued as Krunal put down a tough chance in Bhuvneshwar's over, reprieving Pooran, before holding on to one off Rasikh to send Pooran back. Pant provided a blitzy finish, striking two fours and a six to power LSG to a strong total.
@B6$
RCB's start was in stark contrast to LSG, with the home team pacers delivering early blows that set the batting side back. Mohammed Shami, as is the norm, bagged a wicket in the first over, with Prince Yadav making amends for a misfield with a fine catch to dismiss Bethell. Prince then bowled a beautiful nip-backer to rattle the stumps and send Virat Kohli packing for a duck. It seemed like a completely different pitch with the ball moving around and beating the bat often. Padikkal, meanwhile, played some lovely shots - a classy pull for a six off Prince and a boundary over cover off Shami. Rajat Patidar also scored a couple of boundaries but it was a rather sedate powerplay of 5.4 overs for RCB, with only 40 runs coming in this phase.
@B7$
Having scored a run-a-ball 14, Patidar got into the act as soon as spin came on, hitting a six and a four off Digvesh Rathi to bring up the half-century stand in the seventh over. The RCB captain was pushed back by short deliveries from Mayank Yadav before he hit a six over midwicket. Two more sixes off Digvesh followed as Patidar continued his brutality against spin, and pace, bringing up a 26-ball fifty with a mighty six off Mayank, and went big again to bring up the 100 in the 10th over. The partnership, however, ended at 95 as Padikkal chipped a catch back to Prince. Jitesh Sharma followed soon after, dismissed by Prince while Shahbaz Ahmed picked up the big wicket of Patidar, with Markram taking a good catch at long-off as RCB, from 104 for 2, slipped to 112 for 5.
@B8$
RCB needed 91 off the last six overs, with the required rate crossing 15. It came down to 63 off the last four overs as Tim David struck some crucial blows to the fence, including two sixes and a four off Mayank in the 15th over. But LSG gained the upper hand again as Shahbaz picked up the wicket of David soon after being hit for a six, with Digvesh taking a good catch at point. A couple of fours for Shepherd in the same over brought the equation to 47 off three overs. Mohammed Shami was hit for two sixes by Krunal and Prince went for 13, including a six for Shepherd, as it came down to 20 off the last over. But Digvesh held his nerve and kept the ball out of Shepherd's hitting arc, ending LSG's winless run.
@B9$
RCB travel to Raipur where they play their last two home matches, starting with the clash against Mumbai Indians on May 10. LSG travel to Chennai to take on Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk in the afternoon match on May 10.
