New Delhi: On a day which witnessed the brilliance of Mahendra Singh Dhoni overshadowing all other cricketing feats with his epoch-making knock in the first play-off of IPL 2017, somewhere in England, a certain Gary Ballance was making his own noises.
First, the left-handed batsman top-scored with a 71-run knock in the Yorkshire-Leicester match of England's One-Day Cup, then he got himself out hit-wicket in a strange way.
Electing to bat first at Headingley, hosts Yorkshire started well thanks to a 62-run opening stand between Adam Lyth and Alex Lees. But the final impetus came from Ballance, who scored a well-crafted half-century. In his 66-ball innings, the 27-year-old hit five fours and a six.
But the 'defining moment' of the knock came in the 43rd over, when Yorkshire were looking to change the gear. Ballance tried to reach to a widish delivery from medium pacer Tom Wells, but he ended losing his footing and took a tumble, hitting the wicket in the process.
Here's the video:
Maybe Gary Ballance should swing harder next time?! #RLODC pic.twitter.com/J6IQPtnmX2
— One-Day Cup (@OneDayCup) May 16, 2017
Dhoni, a demi-god in his own rights, played a 26-ball 40-run knock to help Rising Pune Supergiant post a fighting total of 162 runs at Mumbai's historic Wankhede Stadium, where he famously sealed the 2011 ICC World Cup final against Sri Lanka with a six.
Here's a glimpse of his knock, which had five sixes:
#MSDhoni's 5 sixes against #MIhttps://t.co/W0Zo5xBZZg
— Cricket-atti (@cricketatti) May 17, 2017
The total proved just about enough, with pre-tournament favourites Mumbai Indians making a mess while chasing. The result was a 20-run win for the visitors in the Maha derby of the world's most watched cricket league. And it also meant that the legend of Dhoni gets a new chapter.
But that tumble Ballance took made sure cricket fans in another hemisphere get their share of entertainment, though at the cost one of England's best hitters.
