Bangalore beat Kolkata, end losing streak

The Bangalore Royal Challengers beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets with just one ball to spare in an Indian Premier League match at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

Chasing Kolkata's 139-6, opener Shreevats Goswami top-scored with 43 and Mark Boucher (25 not out) hit the winning runs from the penultimate ball to take Bangalore to 143-5.

Kolkata captain Brendon McCullum said his team put up a good effort.

"We gave as good as we got but when it came to the crunch we came up short."

Bangalore got off to a flying start, Goswami and Jacques Kallis putting on 69 for the first wicket.

Goswami was the more offensive of the two, hitting over the top often and blasting six boundaries from his 46-ball innings. He was dismissed in the 12th over attempting to sweep a delivery from Brad Hodge, giving wicketkeeper Morne van Wyk the first of his four catches.

Right-arm spinner Hodge was the pick of the bowlers for Kolkata, taking 3-29, while fast bowler Ishant Sharma swung the ball impressively to claim 2-15 from four overs.

Kallis struck 23 from 25 balls before he skied a catch to van Wyk as he attempted to pull a quicker delivery from Sharma.

Virat Kohli then edged a ball to van Wyk off Hodge for 19 to leave Bangalore on 3-106. Only one run was added before captain Kevin Pietersen was out for 13, caught by Wriddhiman Saha off Hodge attempting to chip over midwicket.

Roelof van der Merwe was the last wicket to fall, edging a Sharma away swinger to van Wyk for 9.

With the score tied and two balls remaining, Boucher clinched the win by hitting a boundary over midwicket.

Earlier, Morne Van Wyk top-scored with an unbeaten 43 and opener Chris Gayle scored 40 to guide the Kolkata Knight Riders to 139.

Bangalore opened their bowling with spin, Pietersen taking the new ball with South Africa left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, and it paid off. Pietersen removing the out-of-form McCullum with the first ball as he looked to hit a slower delivery and was caught by Virat Kohli at backward point.

"Gayle and McCullum like to go hard at the fast bowlers so we opened with spin," Pietersen said.

Pietersen, who now leaves the IPL to join his England teammates for a series against the West Indies, was fulsome in his praise for the tournament.

"I love this tournament! It's the best academy. No coach will teach youngsters here what they will learn in the coming weeks," Pietersen said.