Kolkata Knight Riders found the going tough after a flying start but their bowlers put up a tidy show to restrict Delhi Daredevils to a modest 160 for six in their Indian Premier League match here today.
Put in to bat, Delhi looked unstoppable at 41 for no loss from four overs, but Sunil Narine's first-over breakthrough stymied their run-flow before Nathan Coulter-Nile produced some excellent bowling to finish with figures of 3/34.
Delhi clearly lost their way at the death as they managed only 29 in the last five overs and lost four wickets.
Sanju Samson (60 from 38 balls; 4x4, 3x6) and Shreyas Iyer (47 from 34; 4x4, 1x6) gave them a solid start but their run-rate slipped as KKR fought back through Coulter-Nile.
Credit should also be given to Narine, who had 1/25, and was KKR's most economical bowler.
For Delhi, the onus was on their Indian youngsters to deliver and they showed the intent, sending Karun Nair to open with Samson.
The duo dealt in boundaries against the home team's pace attack before Narine drew first blood by trapping Nair (17).
The promising Nair, who hit three elegant boundaries off Coulter-Nile, looked clueless to a straighter one and missed the sweep to be trapped in front.
The boundaries dried up and it took 46 balls for Delhi to score their first boundary when Samson notched up his sixth IPL fifty with a six off Kuldeep Yadav.
The second-wicket partnership was worth 75 runs and came in 55 balls, after a 48-run opening stand from 29 deliveries, setting the stage for a 200-plus total.
Having completed his fifty, Samson tried to break free but could not keep up the momentum with KKR striking thrice -- Risabh Pant (6), Shreyas Iyer (47), besides Samson.
There was a cause for concern for KKR as Uthappa seemed to have hurt his left knee after nine overs and was treated with ice-packs in the dug-out, with Sheldon Jackson donning the wicketkeeping gloves.
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