31-run win over Chennai
CHAMINDA Vaas complemented a strong batting performance with a three-wicket haul as the Deccan Chargers coasted to a 31-run win over the Chennai Super Kings n the Indian Premier League.
Solid knocks from Andrew Symonds (50) and Herschelle Gibbs (45) and their third-wicket partnership of 95 lifted the Chargers to a formidable 190 for four after skipper Adam Gilchrist chose to bat first.
Vaas then claimed three for 21 as the Super Kings were restricted to 159 for nine, despite fighting performances from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (42) and Albie Morkel (42 not out).
Gilchrist had launched into the Super Kings’ new ball attack with customary brutality, clubbing Sudeep Tyagi for two sixes and a four and smacking Morkel for a six and two fours in the next over.
With Gilchrist going hammer and tongs, Dhoni brought his spinners on inside the powerplay and was rewarded with the breakthrough when Ravinchandran Ashwin bowled the former Australia skipper for 38 and fellow opener VVS Laxman was runt out for 12 next ball.
Symonds had struggled to put bat to ball initially, but soon gained fluency and proved particularly destructive towards the end, reaching his second IPL half-century off 43 deliveries.
By then Symonds had lost Gibbs – brilliantly run out by countryman Morkel – and Symonds too was run out leaving two new batsmen at the crease for the final couple of overs. Rohit Sharma (18 not out) and Tirumalasetti Suman (10 not out) maintained the momentum as they pushed the Chargers to a formidable total.
Vaas then destroyed the Super Kings’ top order and derailed their chase with three strikes in the space of seven deliveries.
The Sri Lankan first bowled opener Murali Vijay (three) with the first delivery of his second over with the new ball, had Suresh Raina (six) caught behind off the fourth delivery and then snared the prized scalp of Matthew Hayden (17) with the first delivery of his third over.
The Super Kings lost more ground when Subramaniam Badrinath fell to Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner then nipping a blossoming partnership between Dhoni and Justin Kemp in the bud by having the South African stumped for 22. Dhoni briefly took the fight to the Chargers, but with his demise in the 15th over – bowled by part-time spinner Symonds – it was all over bar the shouting. (Eurosport)