LLC 2022, Match 9 Review: William Porterfield and Morne van Wyk shine as Bhilwara Kings thump Gujarat Giants

Bhilwara Kings bounced back from a narrow defeat in their previous match and completed a resounding victory by 57 runs over Gujarat Giants at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Tuesday, September 27.

The ninth match of the second edition of the LLC turned out to be a one-sided contest as Virender Sehwag's Gujarat were completely outplayed on the day. Irfan Pathan's Bhilwara were in the ascendency throughout the game after setting up a daunting target of 223 runs.

Gujarat Giants' chase crashed even before taking off as the explosive Kevin O'Brien was dismissed in the second over for just a couple of runs to his name. But skipper Virender Sehwag played some trademark shots before perishing for an entertaining 27.

Lendl Simmons and Elton Chigumbura could not contribute much either, as the duo was dismissed by S Sreesanth in the eighth over.

The return of the 'Universe Boss' did not bear much fruit for Giants either as Chris Gayle was sent back to the pavilion after being trapped plumb in front after a sluggish 15 off 20 deliveries. Sreesanth then put the final nail in the coffin, by getting rid of the hard-hitting Thisara Perera immediately after being struck for a maximum.

The match was headed towards a tame end before Yashpal Singh decided to entertain the crowd that remain unmoved despite Giants losing wickets regularly.

The hard-hitting batter compiled an explosive half-century laden with some lusty blows. He was dismissed after a remarkable knock of 57 runs in the last over, bringing a halt to the proceedings as Kings won the game by a considerable margin of 57 runs.

Morne van Wyk and William Porterfield set up the win for the Kings with a breathtaking opening stand

Earlier, Sehwag won the toss and put in the Bhilwara Kings to bat. The former Indian opener was made to rue his decision as Kings' opening pair gave their side a breathtaking start in the do-or-die match. The opening pair of Morne van Wyk and William Porterfield stitched together a sensational 117-run stand for the first wicket in just under ten overs.

Porterfield was dismissed for a blistering 64 off just 33 deliveries, and as has been the case for much of the tournament, Van Wyk followed suit soon after. But the misery for Giants bowlers continued as Kings skipper Irfan Pathan along with Jesal Karia, kept the scoreboard ticking at a swift rate.

A late blitz from Yusuf Pathan and Rajesh Bishnoi ensured that Kings finished with a humungous total of 222 runs on the board after their 20 overs. Former England international Graeme Swann was the only Gujarat bowler who created some impact of sorts, finishing with figures of 1/34, while the other leaked runs at an alarming rate.