May 22, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

KOLKATA, May 21: Yusuf Pathan produced a blistering knock to douse Kolkata Knight Riders’ enthusiasm as well as their chances of a surprise win in a grudge match against Jaipur’s Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday (also partly reported in Wednesday’s edition).

The Baroda batsman blasted an unbeaten 48 off just 18 deliveries and added 81 with Mohammad Kaif (34) for the unbroken fifth wicket stand, snatching the game away after his team was struggling at 69-4 in the 10th over, chasing a target of 148.

The Jaipur team was virtually assured of a semi-final berth before this match while Kolkata had to win in order to have a realistic chance.

Kolkata skipper Ganguly, who had a spat with Shane Warne after their last match, had reason enough to hope for resurgence from his boys. But that was not to be, as Pathan and Kaif sealed a six-wicket win with 21 balls to spare.

Pathan came close to bettering the fastest fifty of the tournament, which he had registered against Hyderabad off 21 deliveries, once again showing his stature in this form of the game. He smashed three sixes and five fours, finishing the game with a heave over mid-wicket and then breaking into a big smile.

Man-of-the-Match Pathan and experienced campaigner Kaif came together when the team seemed to be slipping. Umar Gul had produced a twin-wicket maiden during which he got rid of pinch-hitter Sohail Tanvir and Graeme Smith.

Earlier, Kolkata could never gain the kind of momentum needed to put up a challenging total. David Hussey and Ganguly fell in trying to force the pace and the team was reduced to 95-4 in the 15th over. The other batsmen threw their bats around but could not get the better of an attack that has slowly but surely proved to be one of the best on view.

It was the ninth win in 11 matches for Jaipur, and the seventh defeat in 12 matches for Kolkata.

Summarised scores:

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS 147-8 in 20 overs (Saurav Ganguly 32, Debabrata Das 31, Salman Butt 24; Sohail Tanvir 3-26, Munaf Patel 2-22); RAJASTHAN ROYALS 150-4 in 16.3 overs (Yusuf Pathan 48 not out, Mohammad Kaif 34 not out, Graeme Smith 24; Umar Gul 2-30).—Agencies