Kolkata Knight Riders came within touching distance of a record run chase at the Eden Gardens before Lucknow Super Giants kept their cool to eke out a four-run win in the IPL on Tuesday.
Nicholas Pooran teed off for Lucknow, smashing an unbeaten 87 from just 36 balls to help the Super Giants post 238-3. He received outstanding support from Mitchell Marsh (81), who notched his fourth half-century in five games. It was Lucknow's second-highest total in IPL.
In reply, Kolkata got off to a flyer with captain Ajinkya Rahane powering the chase with 61 from 35 balls.
Sunil Narine got the chase off to a brisk start with his 13-ball 30 and after his departure Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer kept up the charge.
But just when the chase seemed under control, with KKR on 162-3 and 77 needed from 42 balls, Lucknow bowlers regained control in the death overs.
Super Giants fast bowlers Akash Deep and Shardul Thakur took two wickets each and struck at key moments to trigger a middle-order collapse during which Kolkata lost four wickets in 16 balls.
Thakur dismissed Rahane and Andre Russell, for seven, while Deep cut short Iyer's knock on 45.
Rinku Singh (38 from 15) chanced his arm but Kolkata fell one boundary short, finishing on 234-7.
With 24 required off the final over bowled by leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, left-hander Rinku clubbed three boundaries and a six but it was not enough.
The game was rescheduled from Sunday at the request of Kolkata police due to religious festivities in the city.
After the defeat, Kolkata captain Rahane lauded his batters for coming so close to a stunning win.
"No complaints, in the end we fought hard but just four runs short. When you're chasing 230-plus you are bound to lose wickets. The intent and how everyone played was amazing," Rahane said.
Earlier, the in-form Marsh laid the foundations for Lucknow's mammoth total in his 99-run opening stand with Aiden Markram, who hit 47.
Marsh took down the bowlers with regular boundaries and Markram was equally fluent in his 28-ball knock before Harshit Rana denied the South African a fifty.
Marsh reached his half-century with a boundary and with Pooran put on another destructive stand until Russell broke through.
Russell dismissed Marsh but Pooran kept up the onslaught to reach his fifty in just 21 balls before he hit Russell for three fours and two sixes in a 24-run 18th over.
Pooran is the leading run-scorer in the IPL so far with 288 runs including three half-centuries in five matches, scoring at a strike rate of 225.
Marsh with 265 runs is second on the list.
Pooran said the stability provided by Marsh and Markram at the top allowed him to play freely.
"Through the tournament Aiden and Mitch have been brilliant for us. They're batting so good in partnerships. They are dropping their egos and playing the situation. And I am really happy with how we are doing as a batting unit," Pooran said.
"The role is just to get a start and carry on capitalising on my match-ups. I've been scoring consistently now and as the opportunity continues to present itself, I want to enjoy it".
