Delhi join leaders Deccan and Chennai climb to fifth

William Butler

There were some significant changes to the Indian Premier League table on Thursday after a double-header that saw Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings triumph.

In the first match, Delhi, previously third, handed Deccan Chargers their first loss and joined the leaders at the top with a six-wicket victory. Both teams have eight points with four wins from five games, but Deccan still lead on net run rate.

And in the second game, Chennai leapfrogged two teams into fifth with a 38-run defeat of defending champions Rajasthan Royals. Rajasthan, following their third loss of the tournament, have dropped one place to sixth.

Deccan made 148-9 after losing the toss and being sent in to bat. In reply, Delhi reached 150-4 with eight balls remaining.

Man-of-the-Match Dirk Nannes, who returned 2/16, removed Deccan openers former Australian wicketkeeping legend Adam Gilchrist and South African opener Herschelle Gibbs early as the table toppers were reduced to 53-4. But Dwayne Smith, who made 48 from 28 balls, joined Tirumalsetti Suman in a 65-run fifth wicket stand to lead a recovery.

In their run chase, Delhi were struggling on 49-3 when Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik combined in a recovery effort, racing to a 79-run fourth wicket partnership.

Karthik was removed in the 18th over after a quickfire 41 and Dilshan was unbeaten on 52 from 46 balls. In the second game, Chennai made 164-5 anchored by man-of-the-match Suresh Raina’s 98 after losing the toss, and bowled out the title holders for 126 runs.

Rajasthan, reduced to nine batsmen with Kamran Khan picking up an injury while bowling, were well restricted by a Chennai attack in which Likshmapathy Balaji delivered a superb 4-21 return.

Earlier, Raina mistakenly thought he had reached his ton off the fourth last ball of the innings, taking his cue to celebrate from the stadium scoreboard, which was wrong. He was actually on 98 and, attempting to push up his team’s total with a ‘ton’ in the bag, went for a six off the next ball and was held neatly by Graeme Smith.

He needed only 55 deliveries for his tremendous contribution, smashing 10 fours and five sixes. The left-hand batsman shared 67 runs with Subraniam Badrinath for the third wicket and 71 for the fifth with Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

CENTURION, South Africa, Friday, AFP