IPL: Pune Warriors pull down Kolkata Knight Riders in bottom scrap

Last-placed Pune prevail in seven-run victory after top order set up a decent target.

Toss Kolkata, chose to field
Pune Pandey 66, Finch 48, Yuvraj 30, Uthappa 25; Senanayake 1-22
Kolkata Pathan 72, Doeschate 42; Parnell 2-34, B Kumar 1-22
Man of the match Manish Pandey (Kolkata)

The bottom teams in this season's Indian Premier League are not bowing out without a fight.

Pune Warriors India managed to get the better of Kolkata Knight Riders to win their away game in Ranchi for only their third victory in 15 games. The hosts failed to scale the 171-run target and fell short by seven runs.

Kolkata, seventh in the nine-team league, were on course to get that much-needed win to propel them up the table with Yusuf Pathan (72) and Ryan ten Doeschate (42) reviving the innings after being 29 for three at one stage.

A couple of incidents fell in Pune's favour towards the business end of Kolkata's chase. First Ten Doeschate was run out, leaving Kolkata with 37 runs needed from the last three overs.

Pathan then launched into Wayne Parnell for two fours and a six off successive deliveries to go close in the ball-run equation. But then Pathan, trying to tap and run a quick single, kicked the ball away from a swooping Parnell in his follow-through. He was ruled out for obstructing the field, the first in IPL history.

That effectively sealed the result in Pune's favour.

They had earlier started well with the top-order batsmen chipping in. Aaron Finch (48) and Yuvraj Singh (30) provided the support role to Manish Pandey who hit 66 runs with eight boundaries and a six.

Interestingly Pandey had expressed his outburst on Twitter a few days back after being dropped from the squad altogether for their game against Mumbai Indians.