Lee leads Punjab home

Andrew Symonds - who only recently linked up with Deccan following Australia's ODI series against Pakistan - top-scored for his side with a brutal 60, but his efforts proved in vain

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Australia star Brett Lee hit the winning runs in a thrilling climax to Kings XI Punjab’s three-wicket Indian Premier League victory over Deccan Chargers in Kimberley.

Chasing 169 at De Beers Diamond Oval, Punjab raced to 40 off the first four overs before Rohit Sharma claimed the scalps of openers Sunny Sohal (30 off 17) and Simon Katich (nine) in his first over.

Kumar Sangakkara (25) flicked onto his own stumps before dangerman and skipper Yuvraj Singh (18) skied to counterpart Adam Gilchrist as Kings XI reached 86 for four after 10 overs.

Irfan Pathan (10) and Mahela Jayawardene added 30 before the former fell, and then Wilkin Mota (three) and, crucially, Jayawardene (43 from 28 balls) were run out.

That left Punjab needing 20 from 14 balls and then eight from the final over, and Lee hit the winning runs from the penultimate ball of the innings to take his team to 169 for seven.

Punjab captain Yuvraj won the toss and opted to bowl on a good-looking track, with returning Australia paceman Lee immediately taking the ball and looking dangerous.

His former international team-mate Gilchrist was beaten twice in the opening over and then edged Pathan a foot short of first slip in the second, before smacking Sri Sreesanth’s first ball for six.

However, the wicketkeeper departed for 20 three balls later, caught in the deep by Ramesh Powar.

Opening partner Herschelle Gibbs followed for 13 in the seventh over when he edged spinner Piyush Chawla to a diving Jayawardene, leaving the score 54 for two.

Tirumalsetti Suman had punished the Kings XI bowlers but he too departed for a 17-ball 27 in the 10th when he cracked Mota to Jayawardene on the long-leg boundary.

It was 72 for three after 10 overs, the Chargers checked after a blistering first six overs yielded 52.

Sharma (nine) edged Lee behind before Andrew Symonds (60 not out off 36 balls) and Venugopal Rao (32) set about re-establishing the Chargers’ dominance with a fifth-wicket stand of 95.

It ended with a last-ball run-out for the latter in a total of 168 for five.