Ganguly leads the way for Kolkata
Sourav Ganguly led from the front with a superb half-century as the Kolkata Knight Riders stayed on course for a semi-final berth in the Indian Premier League with an emphatic 24-run home victory over the Deccan Chargers.
Results at the Eden Gardens have favoured teams batting second, but Ganguly surprisingly chose to bat first and made that decision count by smashing an excellent 88 while David Hussey contributed 31 in the Knight Riders' total of 181 for six.
The Chargers responded with 50 from Herschelle Gibbs and a fighting 45 from Andrew Symonds, but those knocks were in vain as the visitors limped to 157 for five.
The Knight Riders lost a handful of wickets early in their innings, but it failed to slow them down and they eventually reached a challenging total.
Adam Gilchrist called on Symonds' part-time off-spin inside the powerplay and was rewarded with the wickets of Chris Gayle (four) and Cheteshwar Pujara (five) - both batsmen hardly troubling the scorers.
The hosts were 46 for two by the end of the sixth over and, although Manoj Tiwary was another cheap dismissal in the ninth, Ganguly was steaming along.
The Knight Riders captain found excellent support in Hussey, the pair sharing a 78-run stand to help the home side consolidate.
Ganguly reached his half-century with a towering six off Pragyan Ojha and again attacked the left-arm spinner when he returned in the 17th over, smashing him for three sixes before succumbing while attempting a fourth off the last delivery of the over.
Hussey briefly took charge before falling in the 19th, but the Knight Riders had by then reached a good enough total.
Gibbs, however, threatened to make short work of that total as he dispatched new-ball bowler and off-spinner Mohnish Parmar in the first over.
And, although Gilchrist departed early for nine, the Chargers sailed along as number-three batsman Monish Mishra (29) hit the ground running.
Angelo Mathews, who put down a sharp return catch offered by Gibbs on 34, made amends by snaring Monish off the next ball in the ninth over - a breakthrough which halted the Chargers.
The asking run-rate raced up when Gibbs departed immediately after reaching his fifty and Rohit Sharma was bowled by Murali Kartik for two.
Symonds offered hope with a steady performance, but the Chargers were left needing a massive 48 from the last three overs. They only garnered 23 from the last 18 deliveries.
