Bopara leads Punjab to their first win

Kings XI Punjab beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by 7 wickets to win the eleventh match of the second edition of the Indian Premier League at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.Punjab scored 173/3 in 19 overs to register their first win of the tournament. Ravi Bopara was the batting star for Punjab with a 84-run knock that came off 59 balls and was studded with 5 sixes and 4 fours. He was adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding knock. Bopara was dismissed when he hit a slower ball from Jacques Kallis high up in the air for Jesse Ryder to take the catch at mid-wicket. Kumar Sangakkara fell to Anil Kumble but captain Yuvraj Singh and Bopara added 66 runs for the third wicket to take their team to safety. Yuvraj sealed the victory for his team with a six, the 100th of the tournament, over long-off. Kings XI Punjab were 80/1 in 10 overs in pursuit of 169. Punjab openers Ravi Bopara and Karan Goel added 52 runs for the first wicket before Goel was run out after a run-a-ball 19.Goel flicked to fine leg and ran fast for two but was not fast enough to beat the throw from Vinay Kumar into the hands of keeper Robin Uthappa who removed the bails. At the time of the strategic timeout, Punjab had Bopara (32) and Kumar Sangakkara (19) at the crease.