Rajasthan Royals on a four-match winning streak
By IANSSunday, March 28, 2010
AHMEDABAD - Rajasthan Royals registered their fourth successive win in the Indian Premier League (IPL), beating Chennai Super Kings by 17 runs at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera here Sunday.
Riding on Man of the Match Naman Ojha’s 49-ball 80, Rajasthan Royals made 177 for eight in their 20 overs and then Shane Warne and co. restricted the Super Kings to 160 for six in 20 overs.
For Super Kings, Murali Vijay scored a composed 42 while South African all-rounder Albie Morkel (28) hit some big shots in the last couple of overs, but that couldn’t prevent the Super Kings from their fourth consecutive loss in the league.
With the win, Rajasthan Royals climbed up to the third position in the table while Super Kings slipped to the seventh spot in the eight-team league.
Opting to bat first, Royals got to a great start with Michael Lumb smashing 30 runs off 16 balls, including three fours and two sixes. Lumb started the proceedings by hitting Morkel for a six and a four in the very first over.
Lumb was again on fire in the fourth over as he again smashed Morkel for two fours and a six, but the South African had the last laugh by dismissing him off the last ball of the over.
Ojha then started the onslaught by spanking the Super Kings bowlers to all parts of the ground. He struck six fours and five sixes during his 49-ball stay as Royals achieved a formidable total.
For Super Kings, medium pacers Morkel, Thilan Tushara and spinner Shadab Jakatai picked up two wickets each.
While chasing, Super Kings lost Matthew Hayden (19) in the fourth over. The top order got good start but failed to convert it to a big score. Vijay and Raina (14) were back in the pavilion in quick succession at 79 for three and it was up to skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (21) and Subramaniam Badrinath (25) to do the repair act.
Dhoni and Badrinath got Super Kings back on track with their 44-run partnership. And at a time when things were looking up for the Chennai team, Dhoni was run out after a mid-pitch collision with Badrinath.
Super Kings needed 47 runs from the last three overs and Morkel lifted Warne for three huge sixes in the 18th over to raise their hopes. But fast bowler Shaun Tait removed both Badrinath and Morkel to end their Super Kings’ hopes.
