KOLKATA: Ambati Rayudu smashed a last-ball six as Mumbai Indians pulled off a thrilling five-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League Sunday. Mumbai needed 21 to win off the last over to surpass Kolkata's 175-7, but New Zealander James Franklin (45 not out off 23 balls) hit paceman Lakshmipathy Balaji for 17 off the first five balls before Rayudu finished the game. Jacques Kallis top-scored with 59 and seamer Rajat Bhatia took three wickets for Kolkata. In another match, Chris Gayle cracked an unbeaten 75 as Royal Challengers Bangalore topped the points table with an eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings. The West Indies opener hit six sixes in his 50-ball knock as Bangalore surpassed Chennai's total of 128-8 with two overs to spare in their last league match of the Twenty20 tournament. Bangalore (19 points), Chennai (18), Mumbai (18) and Kolkata (16) have qualified for the playoffs. Gayle, who added 80 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli (31), finished the match when he hit spinner Suresh Raina for 11 runs off the last three balls of the 18th over. England selects Morgan Eoin Morgan was named Sunday in England's squad for the first Test with Sri Lanka, getting a surprise nod ahead of Ravi Bopara to replace the recently retired Paul Collingwood in the middle order. While successive centuries in first-class games for Essex had made Bopara many pundits' favorite, the selectors instead opted for 24-year-old Morgan after he scored 193 for the England Lions earlier this week against Sri Lanka. “We believe we have selected a very strong squad for the first Test,” national selector Geoff Miller said in a statement. “Eoin Morgan impressed us last summer when he was given his opportunity in the Test side and has worked hard on his game throughout the tour of Australia and now has the opportunity to play a role in the test team.” Morgan was a member of the Ashes-winning squad but was not selected to play in any of the five Tests in Australia. England also picked Steven Finn ahead of Ajmal Shahzad as the reserve pace bowler in their 12-man squad with Tim Bresnan injured. The opening match of the three-Test series at Cardiff starts Thursday.
