Callum Ferguson hit an unbeaten 70 runs to set up a 19-run victory for the South Australia Redbacks over the Kolkata Knight Riders in their Champions League Twenty20 match in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Chasing 189, Kolkata found themselves in early trouble, losing three of their top four batsmen for 46 runs. Jacques Kallis and Manoj Tiwary attempted to get the innings back on track with a 35-runs partnership, but they were always behind the eight-ball as the required scoring rate continued to climb.
Ryan ten Doeschate hit a lusty 32 runs, including two sixes, and though they realised that a victory was a bridge too far the Knight Riders did not give up and finished much closer than the Redbacks would have hoped for, which could have a massive bearing should net run rate come into play at the end of the group stage. Both Gary Putland and Daniel Harris bagged three wickets for the Redbacks. Earlier, Callum Ferguson hit an unbeaten 70 runs to boost South Australia Redbacks to 188/5 after they opted to bat.
The Redbacks were never really troubled by Kolkata’s bowlers and a match-winning fourth-wicket partnership of 84 between Ferguson and Dan Christian (42) was the mainstay of their innings. Lakshmipathy Balaji got rid of opener Daniel Harris and accounted for Christian to finish with 2/27 off three overs. Teams: South Australia 188 for 5 (Ferguson 70*, Christian 42) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 169 for 9 (Tiwary 40, Putland 3-31, Harris 3-42) by 19 runs.
