Kolkata, Apr 8 (IANS): Sourav Ganguly led from the front with a majestic half century coupled with some brilliant fielding as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) beat Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs in an Indian Premier League outing here Wednesday.

Replying to the Knight Riders’s 181/3, the Daredevils could only manage 166/8 before a 45,000-strong crowd at the Eden Gardens.

Ganguly struck a 46-ball 56 (8x4, 1x6) flaunting some vintage strokes and then ran out the dangerous Gautam Gambhir (47 of 29 b, 6x4, 1x6) with a direct throw from the bowler’s end before seeing the back of Kedar Jadhav (5) with a well-judged catch
to keep alive his team’s chances of a semi final berth.

With 10 points from as many games, the KKR now occupy the sixth slot. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Kings are on par with the KKR on points, but occupy the fourth and fifth position on better net run rate.

Daredevils are now second with 14 points from 10 games after the Mumbai Indians (14 from 9).

Coasting merrily at 134/3 in the 15th over, the visitors’ run chase received a body blow as the rampaging Virender Sehwag (64 of 40 balls, 6x4, 3x6) got out to a sharp inswinger from experienced pacer Ajit Agarkar. The wicket triggered a middle order collapse as the tourists lost wickets in a heap to become 152/8 in 18.2 overs and virtually throw in the towel.

The Delhi Daredevils innings began with a jolt as Ashok Dinda skidded one in to beat the in-form David Warner’s defence even before a run was on the scoreboard.

Sehwag and Gambhir then added 99 runs for the second wicket before Ganguly’s wonderful throw began the Daredevil’s downslide.

Earlier, winning the toss, Kolkata knight Riders got off to a cracker of a start with Skipper Sourav Ganguly scoring a 46-ball 56 (8x4, 1x6) and putting on 94 for the opening wicket with Chris Gayle, who got 40 of 21 balls (5x4, 2x6).

The duo took their side to 88 for no loss at the halfway stage, as Ganguly got his third half-century of the tournament.

The former Indian captain, the principal scorer for the knights in the tournament, made his aggressive intent clear in the very second over punishing Daniel Vettori with three boundaries and kept the momentum going with some exhilarating shots on the off side alongside a straight drive and a sweetly timed sweep.

Gayle, who opened up a little late, came down hard on leggie Amit Mishra in the seventh over as he picked up 14 with one six and two fours.

However, the openers departed in back to back overs which slowed down the run rate.
Gayle fell to Rajat Bhatia’s slower stuff, while a beauty of a sluggish delivery from Vettori snared Ganguly.

New Zealander Brendon McCullum (6), playing his first match of the tourney in place of David Hussey, was unfortunately run out cheaply as the Knights became 111/3 in 13.1 overs.

The Shah Rukh Khan-owned side managed to add only 30 runs between the 12th and 16th over, as the Daredevils bowlers seemed to be establishing a stranglehold by sending down some accurate slower stuff which the batsmen found difficult to hit.

However, Angelo Mathews 46 not out (28 b, 3x6) and Manoj Tiwary 26 not out (18 b, 1x4, 1x6) made amends towards the end as they played some scintillating shots to plunder 51 runs in the last four overs. They stitched together an unfinished fourth wicket stand of 70 to set the visitors a challenging asking rate of 9.1.