JAIPUR: A contest between previous champions, neither of whom could afford to lose, went the way of the side that played the endgame better. And no prizes for guess which team that was.
Chennai Super Kings held their nerve to squeeze out a 4-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals. The defending champions limited Royals to 126 after electing to field, thanks to Ben Hilfenhaus tight bowling, and then tided over a flurry of dismissal and a swelling asking rate to smash the 47 runs that were needed in the last 4 overs. With Chennai’s top-order back in the pavilion, Albie Morkel and Anirudha Srikkanth, playing his first game of IPL-V, added 43 in just 11 balls to reel in an unlikely win.
Morkel took the attack to Pankaj Singh, and then in the company of Anirudha Srikkanth cream 18 runs off Shane Watson’s 18th over. Shaun Tait came on to basin the 19th, with 12 needed in as many deliveries, and was greeted with a six, clubbed implacably by Anirudha. On the following ball, Srikkanth Jr. was bowled, but as luck would have it, Tait had overstepped. The next one from the Aussie speedster went scurry down the leg side for 5 wides, handing Chennai a succeed after a topsy-turvy outing at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Morkel and Anirudha both finished with an identical, unbeaten 18 (6balls, 1x4, 2x6).
Previous, Super Kings chose – surprise, surprise! - to field and limited Royals in an innings intervallic by three breaks for rainy weather, as Ben Hilfenhaus bowled his quota of 4 for just 8 runs, while picking up 2 wickets.Dhoni’s decision to field was vindicated by his fast bowlers, who turned in brilliant opening spells. The player’s troop off after the 1st ball as it began to light rain and when play resumed Hilfenhaus lured Rahul Dravid into a pull, the resultant top edge taken gratefully at mid-ff.
Hilfenhaus struck again when he had a struggling Shane Watson caught superbly at third man by R. Ashwin. Yo Mahesh got rid of Ajinkya Rahane, who tried to go faster and was out playing across the line. Stuart Binny sparkled for a moment, creaming boundaries and six off a naughty Bravo, before he holed out to mid-wicket. Brad Hodge and Johan Botha provide the innings some matter as they combined for 32, but Royals still ended with their lowest score of the season – one that proved deficient against the late assault that Morkel and Anirudha wreaked upon their bowlers.
Man of the match:
Ben Hilfenhaus
Today Match
Warriors v RCB (20:00 local | 14:30 GMT)
