Kevin O'Brien's century took the sheen off Ashley Nurse's fiery 43-ball 103 not out as Gujarat Giants opened their campaign with a three-wicket win over India Capitals in the Legends League Cricket in Kolkata on Saturday.
It was a tale of two centuries at Eden Gardens, and the former Irish all-rounder's 61-ball 106, studded with 15 boundaries and three sixes, set up their clinical win with eight balls to spare.
On a day when their star skipper Virender Sehwag failed yet again in a stiff chase of 180, O'Brien shouldered the responsibility and continued from where he left in his knock of 52 in the charity match on Friday.
Sehwag got out early, even as his team India Maharajas won the charity match against World Giants the other day.
With five runs to win, O'Brien was dismissed by Liam Plunkett in the 18th over. Drama followed when Capitals' 50-year-old spinner Praveen Tambe (3/28) dealt their opponents a double blow in the penultimate over.
However, Tambe ended up conceding a wide off the fourth ball, which sealed victory for the Giants.
Earlier, former West Indies all-rounder Nurse scorched the ground with an unbeaten 103 off 43 balls (8x4, 9x6) to help the Capitals post 179/7 after they were put in. Nurse, who also took one wicket, was adjudged Man of the Match.
Brief scores:
India Capitals 179/7; 20 overs (Ashley Nurse 103 not out; Rayad Emrit 2/31, KP Apanna 2/36) lost to Gujarat Giants 180/7; 18.4 overs (Kevin O'Brien 106; Pravin Tambe 3/28).
Gujarat Giants won by three wickets.
