CLT20: Super Azhar Mahmood lifts Auckland Aces over KKR

By Sheriff Michaels

Azhar Mahmood keeps reminding PCB of his worth at Champions League T20

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (TheSportsNEXT) October 15, 2012: A match-winning performance by Pakistani all-rounder Azhar Mahmood helped Auckland Aces defeat Indian Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders by a comfortable margin of seven wickets with 14 balls to spare in Group A match of the Champions League World Twenty20 2012 played at Newlands in Cape Town on Monday.

Azhar Mahmood took three wickets for 16 runs before executing the job with the bat by scoring unbeaten 51 runs from 42 balls as the Kolkata Knight Riders are now on the brink of crashing out of the Champions League Twenty20 2012 after witnessing two defeats in as many matches.

Gautam Gambhir, skipper of Kolkata Knight Riders, won the toss and decided to bat first expecting the pitch to offer more purchase to his seamers in the night.

Gautam Gambhir (5 from 9 – 1 four) fell early once again but Manvinder Bisla (38 from 24 – 6 fours, 1 six) and New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum (40 from 35 – 3 fours, 2 sixes) launched an effective counterattack scoring 62 runs from only 41 balls.

However, once their partnership was broken by Ronnie Hira in the ninth over, Auckland Aces skipper Gareth Hopkins asked Pakistani star all-rounder Azhar Mahmood to deliver some overs.

The medium-pacer started with a double-wicket maiden where he got rid of South African quality all-rounder Jacques Kallis (Duck) and Manoj Tiwary (Duck) as the Kolkata Knight Riders lost the momentum completely.

Soon Azhar Mahmood also sent Brendon McCullum back in the pavilion as the KKR innings fell apart and Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (15 from 22) and Yusuf Pathan (22 from 19 – 2 fours) had to resort to damage-control which never allowed them to use the long handle freely.

In the end, the Kolkata Knight Riders could only limp to a total of 137 for six from their 20 overs.

Azhar Mahmood took three wickets for 16 runs to lead Auckland Aces’ bowlers while Kyle Mills (1/23), Michael Bates (1/33), and Ronnie Hira (1/30) also bowled pretty well and none of the bowlers was over-expensive.

Chasing 138 for an impressive victory, the Auckland Acers opening batsmen came out in the middle with an effective plan and assaulted medium-paced bowling attack of Kolkata Knight Riders after Gautam Gambhir opted to sit his premier fast bowler Brett Lee out in the dug-out.

Martin Guptill (25 from 26 – 3 fours) and Lou Vincent (30 from 12 – 3 fours, 2 sixes) came out with all guns blazing and belted Lakshmipathy Balaji and Shakib Al Hasan all across the Newlands and raised to 37 from only three overs before Lou Vincent was captured by none other than Sunil Narine.

Azhar Mahmood (51 not out from 42 – 3 fours, 2 sixes) came at one-down position and he used his wits to stabilize the innings after fall of both the openers and with Anaru Kitchen (24 from 15 – 3 fours, 1 six) took the Auckland Aces close to victory before having company of Colin de Grandhomme (9 not out from 11 – 1 four) to execute a fine chase in Cape Town.

There was nothing much to talk about the KKR bowlers as Lakshmipathy Balaji went for 38 from his four overs for a wicket, Shakib Al Hasan gave away 34 from his four, and Pradeep Sangwan leaked 26 runs from his 16 deliveries. Sunil Narine was their most successful bowler as he took two wickets for 24 runs while Jacques Kallis also kept his line and length and let only 17 runs to slip away from his three overs.

Azhar Mahmood was declared Man of the Match for his brilliance with both bat and ball. This was his second consecutive Man of the Match award in the Champions League Twenty20 2012.

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir said at the presentation ceremony, “Once you get the momentum you've got to continue. How they played in the first over gave them momentum. We need to play smart cricket, some better cricket and hopefully we can win both our remaining games”.

Auckland Aces skipper Gareth Hopkins stated, “Bowlers are picked to do a job so I back them. We do have part timers, but didn't need them today. We got off to a good start with the bat and we left it to the master Mahmood to finish it off as well as he does”.

Man of the Match Azhar Mahmood said, “We bowled really well as a unit. We prepared really well, two weeks before the tournament and it's paid off. Martin Guptill and Louie started off really well and I was able to finish off. Hopefully I can keep my form going”.