Spencer Johnson has a hard act to follow as the Australian pace bowling weapon for IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders, so Mitchell Starc’s like-for-like replacement will be relieved to have got off the mark with his first win for his new franchise.
The 29-year-old Johnson was seen as an ideal cut-price succesor to Starc, after KKR decided not to retain the uber-expensive left-armer who’d come up big right at the business end of their push to the 2024 title.
Snapped up for $A510,000 compared to the $4.43 million Starc had cost KKR a year earlier, Johnson, who’d played only five matches for Gujurat Titans in 2024, now has the pressure of delivering for a team who believe they can retain the crown this year.
It didn’t start auspiciously for Johnson when he was clocked for 31 off just 14 wicketless balls in KKR’s comprehensive first-round defeat by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the weekend.
But on a sluggish wicket designed for the spinners, he fared much better on Wednesday as he featured in KKR’s eight-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.
Johnson took 1-42 off his four overs as Rajasthan, having been put in, compiled 9-151, but bowled better than the figures suggest, unlucky not to get a wicket first ball when Yashavsi Jaiswal skyed one and also having Shimron Hetmyer dropped.
Charged with bowling the death over in a smashing little duel with Jofra Archer, the England quick won the first round by clouting Johnson’s full toss for six before the Aussie uprooted his off stump with the penultimate delivery of the innings.
In reply, KKR’s Quinton de Kock was always in control of the chase, just missing out on an unbeaten ton but helping himself to a match-winning 97no as the champions raced to 2-153 with 15 balls to spare.
The South African completed his half-century off 35 balls, and finished the job with another maximum over long-on off Archer, who suffered his second-straight miserable outing with the ball.
In Rajasthan’s opening-round loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Archer had been smashed around for 0-76, the worst figures ever in the IPL.
This time, with his final over going for two wides and 16 from de Kock’s bat, his figures read 0-33 off 2.3 overs.
De Kock hit eight boundaries and six sixes in all, making it look pretty straightforward after England spinning allrounder Moheen Ali had earlier taken 2-23, sharing top-order wickets with Varun Chakaravarthy (2-17).
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au