Perera excelled with both the bat and ball
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Kings XI Punjab all-rounder Thisara Perera smashed an unbeaten 35 and took two wickets, while Glenn Maxwell hammered a crucial 43, to help their side cruise past the Hobart Hurricanes by five wickets in Chandigarh.
Punjab captain George Bailey would have been pleased with his decision to bowl first after Hobart skipper Tim Paine was clean bowled by Akshar Patel for 11 runs.
Ben Dunk managed to make 26 runs before he was caught by Maxwell at deep cover off the bowling of Thisara Perera.
Aiden Blizzard made a quickfire 27 before he was caught by Parvinder Awana at extra cover off the bowling of Perera.
Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik only made 14 runs before he was caught by Bailey at midwicket off the bowling of Karanveer Singh.
Jonathan Wells and Travis Birt stabilised the innings with a 52-run partnership before Wells was run out by Singh for 28.
Birt also ended up making 28 before he was caught by Singh at short fine leg off the bowling of Awana.
Thanks to Wells and Birt’s late partnership, Hobart finished on 144/6 off their 20 overs.
Perera was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, while Awana, Patel and Singh chipped in with one wicket apiece.
Chasing 145 to win, Punjab got off to a horrible start as Virender Sehwag, Wriddhiman Saha, David Miller and Manan Vohra were back in the pavilion with only 51 runs on the board.
Maxwell steadied the innings with his knock of 43, which came off 25 balls and included four boundaries and two sixes, before he was caught behind off the bowling of Evan Gulbis.
Maxwell smashed four boundaries and two sixes during his entertaining knock of 43
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
It was all Punjab from this point on as Bailey and Perera finished off the match with an unbeaten 69-run partnership.
Bailey scored 34 off 27 balls, which included five boundaries, while Perera remained undefeated on 35 off 20 deliveries, which included four boundaries and a six.
Doug Bollinger was the most successful bowler with two wickets, while Gulbis, Ben Laughlin and Ben Hilfenhaus claimed one wicket each.
Paine was gutted to have lost the match, and said: “We didn’t get off to a good start with the bat, but with the ball we gave it a good crack.”
Bailey was thrilled to have led Punjab to victory in their first CLT20 match, and said: “A terrific innings from Maxy and TP there, it takes some courage to come out when your team is in a bit of trouble and go for your shots. I think Hobart have a very nice team, they lost today but they can challenge [anyone]. Anureet Singh didn’t get much of a chance in the IPL with a broken thumb, he was outstanding with the ball, [especially] that one over at the death. We (Kings XI) slotted back in really quickly, not our best game with the bat but we will get better.”
Perera was named Man of the Match, and said: “I’m really happy to be back in the side, last year I had international duties so I couldn’t play much. Everyone expects me to bowl (and bat well).”