Miller, Patel see Kings XI Punjab home

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Akshar Patel struck 20 runs off the penultimate over as he and David Miller saw the Kings XI Punjab over the line in their run chase against the Barbados Tridents in the Champions League T20.

The Tridents got off to a flyer after being sent in to bat despite the early loss of William Perkins, with Dilshan Munaweera clobbering 50 off just 26 balls and Raymon Reifer adding 60 off 42 to put Kings XI on the back foot.

Munaweera was dismissed in the sixth over by Parvinder Awana, but Jonathan Carter came in and ably supported Reifer, who continued to smash it all around the park.

Thisare Perera and Anureet Singh were able to put the brakes on somewhat with a couple more breakthroughs, though the Barbados lower order were all able to chip with a few runs to post a very competitive 174/6.

Awana finished with 3 for 46 and Perera returned with figures of 2 for 15 off his three overs, leaving captain George Bailey to perhaps rue not allowing him to bowl all four.

Virender Sehwag and Manan Vohra got the Kings XI off to a great start in their chase, though Ravi Rampaul made the first breakthrough in the fourth over, dismissing Vohra for 27 off 19.

Wriddhiman Saha joined Sehweg at the crease but didn’t last long, and Glenn Maxwell also departed to leave Kings XI on 95/3 after 10 overs.

Wickets continued to fall, with Sehwag next to go for 31 off 25 balls, and the Kings’ chase was slowing down just when they would have been hoping to push on.

Captain Bailey made just seven runs before he too was dismissed, and when Thisare Perera fell with the score on 131/6 after 16.3 overs, the Kings appeared in real danger of falling short in their chase.

But Patel and Miller kept their cool, accumulating runs slowly but surely before Patel would finally turn the tide in the 19th over, smashing three fours and a six to leave his side needing just five runs off the final over.

Miller provided the killing blow, smashing Jason Holder for six as Kings XI Punjab made it two wins from two matches with two balls to spare to go top of the log in Group B.

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