New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry on Friday was a happy man. The Lucknow Super Giants pacer turned up on the winning side against a formidable opponent in the form of Chennai Super Kings. LSG displayed a clinical performance against the 5-time champions to win the tie with an over to spare.
Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul won the toss and elected to bowl first in front of the home supporters at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. LSG bowlers were disciplined, restricting Chennai Super Kings to just 176 runs. KL Rahul and Quinton De Kock led the chase with half centuries each as LSG comfortably chased the target to win the tie by 8 wickets.
Ekana support for LSG
Kiwi fast bowler Matt Henry hailed the home crowd at the post match press-conference.
“It was an amazing crowd. We had a lot of Dhoni fans as well. However, we had quite a bit of support. We love playing here. It’s just a great atmosphere to be a part of,” he said.
Clinical bowling performance
The LSG bowlers did a great job in the match, taking wickets at regular intervals to restrict CSK to just 176. Matt Henry pointed out to this effort as the difference-maker.
“The pitch was a little bit on the slower side. The way the guys adapted to the surface, I think we did a great job. The key thing for us was the ability to take wickets. It made a massive difference for us,” he said.
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KL and De Kock the difference-makers
KL Rahul and De Kock kept LSG ahead of the curve with an opening partnership of 134 runs. Henry said LSG’s opening partnership was the game-changer.
“The opening partnership changed the game for us. KL and De Kock played incredible knocks. The intent they showed was world class and that made the difference at the end of the day. We know it was going to come down to partnerships. CSK had a bit of momentum going into the break but the intent our top order showed laid the platform for us to finish the job against a really good bowling attack,” he said.
