KOLKATA: Phil Salt's rapid 89 and three wickets for Mitchell Starc helped Kolkata Knight Riders race to a crushing eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.
Starc's 3-28 kept Lucknow down to 161-7 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens, with the other Knight Riders' bowlers putting in disciplined performances after their side elected to field first.
The Australian left-arm quick became the most expensive buy in IPL history after Kolkata shelled out $2.98 million for his services.
Opener Salt then steered the two-time IPL winners to their target in 15.4 overs for their fourth victory in five matches this season.
It was the English wicketkeeper-batsman's second half-century in the current IPL edition after he scored 54 in his team's opening win last month.
Salt held the chase together despite Kolkata losing two wickets including opener Sunil Narine for six.
He put on 120 runs with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who made 38, smashing 14 fours and three sixes in his 47-ball knock.
Players have been jostling to impress their national selectors ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup starting June 1 in the West Indies and the United States.
Starc started slowly, leaking 10 runs in his first over, but came back strongly and sent back Deepak Hooda in his third with the help of a diving catch at backward point from Ramandeep Singh.
Mystery spinner Narine choked the flow of runs and returned figures of 1-17 before Starc bowled the 20th over for just six runs and two wickets.
He got the dangerous Nicholas Pooran on the first ball, caught behind for 45, and finished with a yorker to bowl Arshad Khan.
Big bucks Mitchell Starc, Phil Salt help Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Lucknow Super Giants in IPL
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Big bucks Mitchell Starc, Phil Salt help Kolkata Knight Riders thrash Lucknow Super Giants in IPL
- Starc's 3-28 kept Lucknow down to 161-7 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens
Home track advantage for Ameerat Alzamaan in the world’s richest race
- 2025 Fillies Mile winner looking to take her chance on Saudi Cup weekend
RIYADH: Saudi Arabian trainer, Sami Alharabi believes home track advantage could play to the strengths of Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz’s runner, Ameerat Alzamaan (GB) in the Group 1 $20 million Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday.
The brilliant Red Stable filly, a daughter of Ghaiyyath, has been a local success story winning six of her eight career starts including the 1,000 Guineas and then the Fillies Mile on The Saudi Cup undercard 12 months ago.
“I have been very pleased with her condition and believe she is in much better shape now than she was previously, showing clear improvement,” said Alharabi.
“My confidence comes from the noticeable development I see in her daily training, which gives me strong belief in her progression.
“It is very exciting to have a runner in The Saudi Cup and I place my trust in God for the filly to deliver a positive result.”
The four-year-old was supplemented into the Saudi Cup after missing out on an automatic entry when finding only the reopposing Mhally (GB) too strong in the G3 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup last month.
“I thought her performance in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was very good. It was a successful test for her, especially competing against seasoned and high-quality horses,” added the trainer.
She will race over 1,800 meters on Saturday, and Alharabi believes she will relish the longer distance: “The filly is versatile but I believe her ideal trip is between 1,800 meters and 2,000 meters, which suits her better than 1,600 meters.
“The Japanese horse, Forever Young, is the strongest and most dangerous rival and I anticipate a highly-competitive race, but the filly’s proven record at the track and her liking for the surface could work to her advantage and she will give a good account of herself.”
A jockey has yet to be selected, with Alharabi hoping for gates six or seven at Wednesday’s draw ceremony.
