Chennai Super Kings

Author! Smit

Channai Super Kings : In yet another thrilling encounter, the Kings XI Punjab faced defeat against the Chennai -dhoni Super Kings. It was a sterling performance by Laxmipathy Balaji which made the difference between the two rivals. Balaji, in the process, registered the first hat-trick of the IPL.

The hosts Chennai Super Kings were invited to bat first on the sleeping beauty of the M A Chidambaram Stadium - Chepauk by Yuvraj Singh, the captain of the Punjab side. Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan and Stephen Fleming opened the innings for Chennai- dhoni Super Kings . They were unable to provide the Super Kings with the desired start and it was left to Suresh Raina and Subramaniam Badrinath to consolidate the innings.

Just when it seemed that the two were settling down in an useful partnership, Raina got out caught by Marsh off the bowling of Piyush Chawla. He made 26 from 17 balls and the score for Chennai Super Kings read 64/3 in 6.5 overs.

Badrinath was then joined by his captain, M S Dhoni. They both played sensibly, to ensure a decent tally for their team. In an innings of 64 off 47 deliveries faced by Badrinath, he smashed 6 fours and 3 sixes. By the time Badrinath departed, in the 18th over, the Chennai Super kings had already posted 157/4.

Dhoni, tonight, played a captain's knock to score 60 off 43 which comprised of 2 hits to the boundary and 4 sixes. In the concluding overs, however, the Kings XI bowlers made a gallant effort to restrict the Chennai- dhoni super kingtally to 181/4 in 20 overs.

In reply to the huge target posted by the Chennai -dhoni Super Kings, the visitors began their chase with the in-form Shaun Marsh and James Hopes. Marsh, continued with his good run in the tournament and swiftly reached to his second half century, scoring 58 off 38 ball hitting 3 fours and 4 sixes.

Apart from him, Sarvan made 20 from 22 as the middle order lost its way to the target. A partnership between Irfan Pathan and Piyush chawla tried its bit to rectify the situation. Pathan played a scintilating knock 40 from just 18 deliveries with 3 fours and 3 towering sixes. But as it turned out the target eventully proved to be too high for the Kings XI as they could manage 163/9 in 20 overs, 18 short of the target.

Laxmipathy Balaji was adjudged Man of the Match for his effort of a 5/24 in his 4 overs which included the first hat-trick in the IPL.

Shaun Marsh and M S Dhoni super king shared the DLF sixes award.

The Chennai Super Kings thus marched ahead of the Kings XI in the points table.