RAIPUR, India, CMC – Dwayne Smith’s half-century proved in vain as Rayad Emrit produced a tight penultimate over to help Gujarat Giants to a narrow one-run win over Urbanrisers Hyderabad in the Legends League here Sunday.
In pursuit of 194 at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Giants got a 39-ball 50 from opener Smith, while Peter Trego scored 59 from 25 balls.
However, with 19 runs required from the last two overs, medium pacer Emrit sent down an over that cost only six runs, leaving Trego and Jerome Taylor with the task of garnering 13 runs from the final six balls.
Trego perished to the second ball from pacer Sreesanth (2-28), and Taylor could only manage a boundary off the final delivery with six runs needed.
Smith had earlier punched three fours and four sixes, inspiring a 46-run second wicket stand with Gurkeerat Singh Mann (22) to pull the chase around from the loss of Martin Guptill (1) with eight runs on the board.
The former West Indies star added 45 for the third wicket with captain Suresh Raina (13) before falling in the 12th over.
Trego, who belted seven fours and four sixes, kept the chase going first in a 46-run, fifth wicket stand with Stuart Binny (12) and then in a 33-run stand for the sixth wicket with Yogesh Nagar (10).
Former Barbados and West Indies left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn finished with two for 28.
Choosing to bat first, Giants gathered 193 for five from their 20 overs, with Richard Levi blasting a 19-ball 49 and Rajat Bhatia striking an unbeaten 39 off 20 balls.
Veteran former West Indies opener Chris Gayle chipped in with 29 from 26 deliveries, posting 69 for the second wicket with Levi, who counted half-dozen fours and three sixes.
Bhatia, who struck five fours and a six, then controlled the back end in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 63 with Dhruv Raval, who made 29.
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