Ravi Bopara blasted his way to a half century to help the Kings XI Punjab beat the Bangalore Royal Challengers by seven wickets at Kingsmead on Friday for its first victory in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). Bopara carved his way to 84 off 59 balls with four fours and five sixes as Punjab, chasing Bangalore's total of 168 for nine, scored 173 for three to win the match with six balls remaining. Opening batsman Bopara initially played a circumspect innings as he used up 46 balls to reach fifty but the right-hander then cut loose, adding 32 runs to his score, off 13 balls. He was caught at midwicket by New Zealand's Jesse Ryder off the bowling of seamer Jacques Kallis with Punjab needing 11 runs from 11 balls to win. Bopara had shared in a third-wicket stand of 66 off 34 balls with skipper Yuvraj Singh and it was Punjab's captain who finished the match in some style by belting a Kallis delivery over long-off for six to end the innings not out on 30. Punjab's innings appeared to have stalled due to an economical performance from leg spinner Anil Kumble, who served up a four-over spell that captured a wicket and cost 19 runs, but then Bopara and Yuvraj took control of the match. Bangalore's total was built on 62 off 46 balls from South African Kallis after opener Ryder had got the innings off to a fast start thanks to his 32 from 21 balls. Left-arm swing bowler Yusuf Abdulla accounted for both men before adding the wickets of Kevin Pietersen (0) and Kiwi Ross Taylor (35) as he finished with career best Twenty20 figures of four for 31 off four overs. Abdulla received admirable support from fellow left-arm swing bowler Irfan Pathan who snared three for 35 off four overs including two wickets in the last over of Bangalore's innings. Brief scores: Bangalore 168-9 in 20 overs (J.Kallis 62, R.Taylor 35, J.Ryder 32; Y.Abdulla 4-31, I.Pathan 3-35). Punjab 173-3 in 19 overs (R.Bopara 84, Y.Singh 30 not out, K.Sangakkara 26). Flintoff to have knee op England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is to undergo surgery on his right knee, ruling him out of the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies. Flintoff has returned from South Africa, where he was playing in the IPL. He suffered pain from a torn meniscus in his right knee after playing for the Chennai Super Kings. He will undergo keyhole surgery next week and the ECB said they expected him to be out of action for three to five weeks. That would enable him to return in time for the Twenty20 World Cup in June and the Ashes series against Australia starting in July. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen said Flintoff's injury was a big blow for England. “I know is a huge, huge blow come the summer in England,” Pietersen said.
