Chennai's domination continues csk fourth continues win

M.S Dhoni could barely watch. Dale Steyn had unleashed a quick, short delivery at her husband, who had half-fended, half-pulled it high into the air. The ball swirled in the night sky for what seemed like an eternity – Ms. Dhoni manicured hands still barring her vision – and dropped down and out of a sloppy Amit Mishra hands at fine-leg.

Relief spread through Ms. Dhoni face like Indian ink on blotting paper. For Mishra, who had in the preceding 10minutes taken out Michael Hussey (45) and Murali Vijay (18) to get Hyderabad back into the match, had just let slip the biggest fish. Dhoni had scored naught then, and he went on to compile a perfectly-paced 37-ball 67, including 3 stunning sixes off Steyn - guiding Chennai super kings to another home win.

Late charge

if the first half of Dhawan’s knocks had been sparkling, the second was brutal. Dhawan and Reddy smashed 43 in just 16 balls, the left-hander particularly severe on the medium-pacer Rohit, while Reddy reserving special treatment for Bravo, who was carted for 16 in the last over.

59 runs in the last 4 overs brought Sunrisers in with a chance. But Hussey surety at the beginning of the chase and Chennai ability to turn it on at all the right moments especially at Chepauk saved them the night yet again.

SCORE DETAILS

Hyderabad- 159/6 (20)

S Dhawan -63*(45)

A Reddy -36*(16)

Highest Wickets

M Sharma-2(33)

D Bravo-2(37)

Chennai- 160/5 (19.4)

M Dhoni (C, †)-67(37)
M Hussey -45(26)
Highest Wickets
A Mishra-3(26)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH-M.S Dhoni

Mumbai Indians beat KKR by five wickets

Mumbai Indians win a final-over thriller at the Eden Gardens as they beaten Kolkata Knight Riders by 5 wickets, with a ball to spare, on Wednesday night. Chasing 160, Mumbai needed 10 off the last over when the well-set Kieron Pollard was caught on the 1st ball, a slower delivery, by Rajat Bhatia.

Ambati Rayudu scampered a single on the next delivery, leaving the requirement at 9 from 4. Harbhajan Singh, who had been clobbered for 26 in the opening over of the match, then atoned for his bowling lapses by swinging a maximum over the mid-wicket region, pretty much deciding the outcome.

Man of the Match Dwayne Smith (62) had provided the boost to the chase, while Captain Rohit Sharma (34) and Pollard (33) steadied the middle to build a platform for the launch. Mumbai had earlier survived a disastrous 1st over, to hold back the home side to 159 as Pragyan Ojha, Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga picked up 2 apiece and gave away very little.

Birthday 'boy'

On his 40th birthday, Sachin Tendulkar faced his 1st delivery only in the 3rd over and did not do much before Sunil Narine snuck one through the gate to flatten the middle stick. Smith had not looked too believable early up. He opened up against Iqbal Abdullah, carting the left-arm spinner for 4 of his 5 sixes and bringing up his half-century in 34 deliveries. 

Both Smith and the in-form Dinesh Karthik (7) were out speedily. The latter trapped in front by Senanayake and the former mistiming Narine in the air to be sloppily caught by Brendon McCollum, who was also involved in another crucial event at the boundary.

Score Details

Kolkata Knight Riders-159/6 (20)

Highest Score
J Kallis -37(38)
M Tiwary -33(24)
Best Bowling
M Johnson
L Malinga
P Ojha
Each 2 Wickets

Mumbai Indians- 162/5 (19.5)

Highest Score
D Smith -62(45)
R Sharma (C)-34(28)
Best Bowling
S Narine-3(17)

Player of the match-D Smith

The Gayle world Record RCB Big Win

Six no.1 came off Mitchell Marsh. Gayle stood with his broad shoulders, front foot out of the way, and the bat in the air like always, muscling the ball over the long on fence. The man stand and deliver stance was in record-breaking mode. So much so, that by the end of over, 28 runs had been milked, courtesy 4 sixes and 1 four. Chris Gayle had brought up his 50.

It was only the fifth over of the match.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave away only a wide, to restore some amount of sanity. But that was because Dilshan was batting. Pune brought the spinners on, in the hope that they could force a mistake out of the big man at the other end. Deliveries, arm balls do tempt the best in the business into going for the wild hoik.

Wrong. As Ali Murtaza and Aaron Finch were carted all over the ground. Finch was smashed for 29 and he wisely took himself off the attack. But that was not going to stop Gayle from taking his left foot off the gas. The West Indian had raced to 95, and when he was offered the strike, smashed a full toss from Dinda to bring up his hundred off just 30 balls. The fastest ton in T20 history, going past Andrew Symonds, who brought up his triple figures off 34 deliveries for Kent in 2004.

Gayle removed his helmet, revealing a black bandana. On his knees, soaking in the applause. He was not going everyplace. Balls were hitting the roof, and had to be replaced.

Dilshan managed to get a little more strike, but fell to Wright for 33. Nobody knew why Pune were celebrating. Murtaza came back to bowl in over No.14, only to be smashed for 28 runs, with Gayle bringing up his 150, with a 6 off the sixth ball of the over. Virat Kohli gave him the rocking chair tribute, but wouldn’t hang around till the end, after being run out for 11.

AB de Villiers then joined Gayle, and the duo continued the run riot, with Marsh again being singled out for particular treatment. Royal Challengers Bangalore would go on to end with 263/5, the highest-ever in any T20 match. Gayle would remain unbeaten on 175-the highest individual score in T20 cricket.

 

There is nothing one can do to stop Chris Gayle when he gets going, and that is something that every person knows. But when the man with the most famous dreadlocks in cricket, smashes 17 sixes and 13 fours, you know that he is taking it to another level all together. Little did Pune Warriors captain Aaron Finch know that his decision to win the toss, and bowl first, would be the start of the end?

His bowlers would have been better off bowling wides. So much so that when they came out to chase, they ended up making 133/9. 11 batsmen making 42 runs less than what one man army- Chris Gayle, managed all by RCB. The only Pune Warriors player who crossed fifty was Mitchell Marsh.

56 to be precise. But that did not come off the bat. Bangalore won by 130 runs. Not too sure if we wanted to mention that. It was a match between Chris Gayle and the Pune Warriors.

Score Details

Bangalore-263/5 (20)

 

Highest Score

C Gayle -175(66)

A de Villiers -31(8)

T Dilshan -33(36)

Best bowling

A Dinda-2(48)

Pune warriors- 133/9 (20)

S Smith -41(31)

M Marsh -25(23)

Best Bowling

R Rampaul-2(21)

C Gayle-2(5)

Player of the match- C Gayle

Two foreigners stunning but csk thrill win by RR

It was clearly a game that was set up by 2 Australian openers- Chennai Super Kings Michael Hussey and Shane Watson Rajasthan Royal

Good start with Michael Hussey.

Chasing Rajasthan 186-run target, Hussey and Vijay got off a sedate start, taking just 3 singles off the 1st over from Ajit Chandila. Rahul Shukla however was not as lucky as Mr. Cricket struck 2 fours in the second over, to get things started for the hosts. He then smashed a six off Chandila in the following over to help CSK move into 1st gear. One single later, Chandila would celebrate. Last Thrilling 11 needed from 6.

It would be a contest between Dwayne Bravo and Shane Watson. Chris Morris did the right thing, taking a single to give Bravo strike. Watson sent down a dot ball, before Bravo went inside out, to hit a six over sweeper cover. The West Indian then took 2 runs, after hitting a full toss to long on. Needing 2 runs off 2 balls, Bravo again took 2 runs to help Chennai register a 5-wicket win. As his team ran from the dugout, he took his helmet off and celebrated with a spontaneous jig.

Before suffering the ignominy of bowling the last over with the ball, Shane Watson had done well in his padded avatar, hitting the 1st century of IPL 2013, to help the Rajasthan Royals rake up a majestic total of 185/4. The right-hander struck 6 sixes and 4 fours, carrying on while he was losing partners at the other end. Not that they could be blamed, for the Aussie was hogging the lion’s share of the strike.

SCORE DETAILS

Rajasthan Royals-185/4(20)

Highest Scores
Shane Watson-101(61)
S Binny -36(22)
Highest Wickets
R Ashwin-2(20)
D.Bravo-2(36)

Chennai Super kings-186/5

Highest Scores
M.Hussey-88(51)
S Raina -51(35)
Highest Wickets
J Faulkner-3(20)

Player of the match- M.Hussey

The sensational match Punjab Team wins

It came down to 29 from 12 in the end, with David Miller (80*) and Mandeep Singh (77*) at the crease. The penultimate over began with Ashok Dinda being smashed for 2 fours by David Miller, one down the ground, and the other past point. Both deliveries being full tosses. It took a soothing gloved arm from Robin Uthappa to help Dinda keep his nerve. Giving away 3 singles is all right. But when Mandeep took 2 off the last ball, courtesy a misfield from third man Rahul Sharma, Dinda offered a mouthful.

Was it in Bengali or in English? Difficult to tell.

Luke Wright came in to bowl the last six deliveries. Miller and Mandeep traded strike, and the South African readied himself for the last 4 balls. Wright bowled full, and was smashed for 6. 2 runs later, the target came down to 6 from 2. Man-of-the-Match Miller got a dull full toss, and was more than happy to send the ball over long off for a six, and was speedily surrounded by his mates from the dugout.

That is a great way to end a cricket match.

It did not look like a Kings XI Punjab show at the start of the match though. Adam Gilchrist dropped Aaron Finch on one. When it was his turn to bat, the normal came out with a different set of gloves and a bat. He edged the ball like his matching part, only to be caught by Pune keeper Robin Uthappa.

SCORE DETAILS

Pune Warriors India- 185/4 (20)

Highest Score

A Finch (C)-64(42)

R Uthappa -37(33)

Y Singh -34(24)

L Wright -34(10)

Best Bowling

A Mahmood-2(42)

Kings XI Punjab-186/3 (19.5)

M Singh -77(58)

D Miller -80(48)

Man-of-the-Match Miller