Mitchell Marsh struck 111 as Lucknow Super Giants edged out defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru by nine runs in a rain-marred IPL clash on Thursday.
Marsh plundered nine fours and nine sixes in his 56-ball onslaught to help Lucknow reach an impressive total of 209-3 in a rain-shortened clash that saw each team bat for 19 overs at Ekana Stadium at Lucknow.
Chasing a revised target of 213, Bengaluru lost Virat Kohli for two as he was out to Prince Yadav on the second ball after fellow quick Mohammed Shami had castled Jacob Bethell for four.
Prince produced a delivery that jagged back in and rapped the off stump of “King Kohli”, who appeared stunned as the bowler hopped with glee whilst pumping his arms in celebration.
Prince ended with nifty figures of 3-33 in his frame of four overs.
Captain Rajat Patidar scored 61 off 31 balls, and impact substitute Tim David hit a 17-ball 40 to give Bengaluru some hope.
In a tight finish, Krunal Pandya (28) and Romario Shepherd (23) stitched an unbeaten partnership of 45 but it was leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi who defended 20 runs in the last over.
Bengaluru claimed 203-6 for their fourth defeat in 10 matches to remain third in the table but stay in playoffs contention.
This was Lucknow’s first victory in their seventh match with their playoff chances hanging by a thread.
The top four teams from the league phase will qualify for the playoffs.
After a second rain delay, Marsh roared to life belting the bowlers to every corner of the ground and reaching his second hundred of the T20 tournament in 49 balls with a four off Shepherd.
For his part, he put on 95 runs with opening partner Arshin Kulkarni (17) and then another quality partnership of 70 with Nicholas Pooran (38).
Marsh was eventually dismissed for 92 by fellow Australian Josh Hazlewood, whose four overs cost him one wicket and a massive 49 runs.
The left-handed Pooran kept the score ticking before skipper Rishabh Pant finished with a flourish in his 10-ball 32 not out.