Crucial win Chennai super kings

CHENNAI: There’s something about Chepauk, something in the wicket, in the rich air of this Southern city that disallow visitors to leave with their beloved result, despite having been accorded a king’s welcome.

On Friday evening, Deccan Chargers realize as much. Having confined the home team to 160 after M.S. Dhoni selected to bat, the Hyderabad team had their nose in front in the 1st half of the chase, only to finally lose the stumble upon by 10 runs. Suresh Raina was Man of the match for his all-round show - a 24-ball 32 and the crucial caught-and-bowled of Kumar Sangakkara.

Chargers were going big guns before the customary Chennai vicissitudes performed a volte face, turning the match around in the time one may well mouth ‘Krishnaswamy Kasturirangam’. At 77-1 in the 11th over, the basement dweller was most likely eyeing a much-needed third win of IPL-V, when the reversal began. The well-set Shikhar Dhawan was run out by a trait of fate, as Cameron White’s full-blooded drive ricochet off the bowler (Bravo) and on to the non-striker’s stumps.

8 runs later, Suresh Raina pulled off a one-handed wow of Kumar Sangakkara, and suddenly the position for Chargers was no longer paved with pansies. It was left to the 2 Aussies – Cameron White and Daniel Christian – to get their side the 55 they needed off the last 4 overs. But knowing the venue and its point treachery to chasers, the task was a climbing one. White mainly played the lone hand with his 53-ball 77 – a remarkable innings on a stroke-unfriendly track - and struck controlling blows against the million dollar wastrel Ravindra Jadeja, but was run-out going for a go-getting 2nd run.

White’s the sack signaled the end for Chargers, as Hilfenhaus came on to bowl the final over with 20 compulsory for an unlikely win. Although Christian nick a boundary on the 1st ball, Chennai emerge victors by 10 runs, setting their war back on the same track as the previous two seasons, which had also demand an almost not possible backs-to-the-wall curative action from them. Earlier, on a wicket where winning pace off the ball was paying dividend, Chennai posted a spirited 160, thanks to Faf du Plessis (42), Suresh Raina (32) and Dhoni (34).

The total resulted as Chargers dropped several catches – 2 each of du Plessis and Bravo (12, 4b), and the hosts maintain a constant run-rate of around 8-an-over.The lone eye-sore for Chennai was, once again, the miserable form of M. Vijay, a batsman who when on song harbors the possible to destroy the most excellent bowlers in the business. With any luck, Vijay will come excellent when Chennai needs him most, maybe in the knock-out stages – if the defensive champion makes it that far.

Man of the match

Suresh Raina

Today Match

KKR v Warriors (16:00 local | 10:30 GMT)

Kings XI v Royals (20:00 local | 14:30 GMT) 

Kevin Petersen century helped Daredevils win the match

DELHI: Delhi Daredevils rode on Kevin Petersen’s chance century to emerge 5-wicket winners over Deccan Chargers at the Feroz Shah Kotla here, on Thursday.

The win was Delhi’s 4th in 5 games season, while for Chargers the result was their 4th successive loss. The England superstar Kevin Petersen 9 sixes in his 64-ball 103 – as Delhi chased down the 158 target with 5 balls to spare – but was dropped 3 times (on 6, 68 and 94) in the course of his tempestuous knock.

Delhi buckled under the must early in their chase. They were 23-3 in the 5th over, with Naman Ojha, Virender Sehwag and Mahela Jayewardene back in the pavilion, as Dale Steyn (4-0-19-2) came up with another brilliant spell. But Pietersen soon take charge, taking Amit Mishra to the cleaners and then going on a six-hitting spree against J.P. Duminy in the 13th over. Three huge sixes later, Duminy had the chance to get his man, but spilled a return catch that was coming to him at a rate of knot.

Soon, the necessary rate was pulled down to convenient proportions, and one more drop of Pietersen, this time by Sangakkara, permitted Delhi to reach the target without more ado. Earlier, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (4-0-16-3) kept up his excellent work and, in tandem with South Africa paceman Morne Morkel (4-0-23-3) limited Deccan Chargers to 157-8 after they had selected to bat.

Chargers made a rapid start during Shikhar Dhawan and Parthiv Patel, who added 71 in 41 balls for the 2nd wicket, and had reached 101 in 11 overs before it all started to fall apart. A big score look on the cards, but Nadeem drag the visitors each it looked to pull away. The left-armer picked up a wicket in each of his 1st 3 overs as no other batsmen spent sufficient time in the center to make an impact.

Dhawan worthless a glorious starts when he was missed in front going for a repeal sweep against Nadeem. Parthiv kept going at the other end, and reached his insistent peak in the 11th over – bowled by Umesh Yadav – biff a six and slashing straight to 3rd-man to be caught. Parthiv benefit from a stay of execution as the release was called a no-ball for height, and received another life when Pietersen dropped him at fine-leg in the next over.

The little keeper-batsman was lastly caught by Jayewardene at deep square leg. Bharat Chipli throws his bat roughly for a precious 25, massacring Ajit Agarwal for boundaries to take the score past 150, before Morne Morkel return to clean up the tail. The South Africa fast had Abhhishek Jhunjhunwala caught after, while Dale Steyn hit his countryman directly to Sehwag at cover.

The sub-160 total may just have tested Delhi, especially after the early loss of 3 wickets, but Petersen’s blazing, albeit chancy, hundred ensured that the home team romped home with 5 balls to spare.

Man of the match:

Kevin Pietersen

Thriller Win for Mumbai.

The 5th edition of the IPL, which got off to a tepid start, lastly had a nail-biter as Rohit Sharma hit the last ball the match for 6 to seal a cinematic end for Mumbai Indians against Deccan Chargers, who fought t and nail while defensive 139. Daniel Christian, not wisest choice for the last over, as very new history tells us, dished out 2 full tosses to Rohit Sharma; include the last ball which was smack over long-on with 3 needed.

A 4-wicket haul by Munaf Patel controlled Deccan Chargers to a below-par 138 for 9, giving Mumbai Indians the chance to record their 2nd win.

In the previous match at the venue, the Deccan Chargers were chasing 194. Today, they had 1st use of the pitch, but in their quest to match that score, lost early on wickets. The Chargers held back their overseas batsmen to the center order, which seem like an unforeseen event measure in case the top order failed. Munaf nipped out 2 early wickets, putting pressure on Daniel Christian and the captain Kumar Sangakkara who is himself short of runs.

Shikhar Dhawan ease those nerves, albeit briefly, with towering hits over the one side, smashing 4 sixes in the region of deep midwicket and square leg. Pragyan Ojha leaked 18 off his 1st over thanks to Dhawan's attack. However, Dhawan failed to read a slower one from Lasith Malinga in the next over and got a leading edge that swirl to Kieron Pollard at point. The Chargers' coach Darren Lehmann was seen reassuring Dhawan at the dug-out, seeming to suggest that the well-set batsman should have looked to bat from side to side the innings.

Sangakkara dismissal, however, came about next ugly scenes of the Mumbai players getting challenging with the umpires. Munaf patel bowled a low full toss which Sangakkara shaped to drive, but got inside edge which shaved stump and knocked off the bails. The wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik was standing up close and the ball deflect back to the stumps his pads, causing confusion as to whether he was legally bowled in the 1st place. The umpires at first gave Sangakkara the benefit of the doubt; choose not to refer it to the third umpire. The Mumbai players were peeved, particularly Munaf, who fling the ball on the turf as he ambled back to his mark.

An angry Harbhajan marched to the square leg umpire Johan Cloete, who was soon envelop by Munaf and Karthik, foremost to ugly scenes which put the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge at the starting rite to distant memory. A clueless Sangakkara went across to have a word with the umpires but by then, it was as if the umpires be coerced into referring it. In theory, Sangakkara was legitimately out and the umpires must have had the presence of mind to check with. Mumbai's road-rage, though, left a shocking taste in the mouth and it make one speculate how different it could have been had Tendulkar, Mumbai's original captain, been in charge.

Cameron White and Christian additional a fast 41 for the 5th wicket, smashing 4 sixes in their stand to boost the Chargers. White looked particularly dangerous, by the crease and smashing the ball with raw authority. However, a try by Christian to clear the rope led to his dismissal, and Mumbai tighten the noose. Malinga and Pollard ran through the lower order to restrict the Chargers to an underwhelming total.

Deccan Chargers-138 for 9 Wickets

Mumbai Indians-142 for 5 Wickets

Player of the match RG Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

Today Match

RCB v KKR (16:00 local | 10:30 GMT)

Daredevils v Super Kings (20:00 local | 14:30 GMT)