Kolkata Knight Riders produced a clinical bowling performance thanks to Iqbal Abdulla, who took three big wickets, to notch up a 17-run victory over Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match here tonight.
The visiting bowlers bowled a tight line and length to restrict Delhi to 131 for nine. The win took Kolkata to joint second alongside Chennai Super Kings with eight points from seven games, while Delhi remained at the bottom of the table with four from seven.
Abdulla bowled with expert control in his 4-over spell and conceded just 25 runs.
Laxmipathy Balaji also shined as he took two wickets.
Daredevils' run chase got off to a bad start as David Warner (2) edged a Balaji delivery onto his stumps in the second over.
Captain Virender Sehwag (34) and Australia allrounder James Hopes (25) provided some hope but the home side could not remain in the hunt on a pitch not conducive to strokeplay.
It was young Jaidev Unadkat who got the dangerous Daredevils captain with a short ball that hurried onto him as he went for a pull and Balaji, who was standing at deep fine leg, didn't make any mistake.
Sehwag's dismissal triggered a collapse with Delhi losing their next seven wickets for 87 runs.
Earlier, Tiwary scored 61 off only 47 balls (2x4, 3x6) as the other KKR batsmen failed to provide substantial support to the Bengal captain.
Umesh Yadav took two wickets while Ajit Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, Morne Morkel and James Hopes scalped one wicket each.
Daredevils kept the Knight Riders' batsmen in check after Devils' skipper Virender Sehwag won the toss and decided to bowl first.
Jacques Kallis (11) and Shreevats Goswami (22) shared 42 runs for the opening wicket before falling in quick succession to Delhi fast bowlers Irfan Pathan and Ajit Agarkar.
KKR skipper Gambhir then fell for 18, before Yusuf Pathan (5) and Eoin Morgan (0) departed in consecutive deliveries off Yadav's bowling to leave Kolkata 105 for five with five overs of their innings remaining.
If the usually incisive and economical Morne Morkel was Delhi's most expensive bowler, Kolkata's best performer was not one of their big-money imports but their local boy, Tiwary, who made a combative half-century to stabilise the innings.
Tiwary combining with Dutch international Ryan ten Doeschate in a 35-run stand to push KKR to a mildly competitive total.
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