Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India] May 20 (ANI): Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Mitchell Marsh, reflecting on their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Monday in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) in Lucknow, acknowledged that the SRH executed their bowling strategy effectively, potentially leaving them 15 runs short on a batting-friendly pitch.

He emphasised that even with a score of 180 or 280, the Sunrisers remain a formidable and unpredictable opponent due to their strong batting performance.

'They bowled very well to their plans throughout the middle order, and maybe we were probably 15 short on what was a really good wicket. And you know, the margins are very small in this game. But as we know, the Sunrisers, you can have 180 or 280, and you never really feel safe. So they're a dangerous side. They batted beautifully. So yeah, fair play to them,' Mitchell Marsh said in the post-match press conference.

'We've shown glimpses of how good a team we can be this year, but the IPL was very hard, and you only have to be a little bit off. We've had a couple of really close games that we've gone down in, and they're the difference in tournaments like this. So we've still got two games to go, and we're a proud unit. So no doubt we'll be playing to win and finishing off the season strong,' he added.

Coming to the match, SRH won the toss and opted to field first. Markram and Marsh scored half-centuries and put 115 runs for the first wicket. Except for Pooran later, every other batter failed to touch the double digits as LSG finished at 205/7 in their 20 overs.

Eshan Malinga (2/28) was the top bowler for SRH, with Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey and Nitish Kumar Reddy getting one each. During the run-chase, Abhishek Sharma (59 in 20 balls, with four boundaries and six sixes) and Ishan Kishan (35 in 28 balls, with three fours and two sixes) put up an 82-run partnership for the second wicket.

Cameos from Heinrich Klaasen (47 in 28 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Kamindu Mendis (32 in 21 balls, with three fours), who formed a half-century stand, helped SRH chase down the target with four wickets and 10 balls in hand.

With this victory, SRH are at eighth spot, with four wins, seven losses and a no result. They have a total of nine points. While they were eliminated early, they have spoiled LSG's party by eliminating them from the playoff race. LSG is in seventh spot, with five wins and seven losses, giving them 10 points. (ANI)