Chennai survive Knights’ charge

Chennai, Two-time winners Chennai Super Kings pulled off a sensational last-ball two-run victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders with some brilliant bowling and fielding effort here today.
Put in to bat, Chennai found the going tough against Kolkata Knight Riders, who produced a disciplined bowling performance to restrict the hosts to 134 for six in their stipulated 20 overs. However, the Super Kings returned with a clinical bowling and fielding performance, led by Dwayne Bravo (3/22) and R Ashwin (2/5), to restrict Kolkata to 132 for nine and continue their domination at home.
Needing 17 runs off six balls, Ryan ten Doeschate (38) blasted a six and a couple of fours but the effort came a little too late as Kolkata fell short by two runs.
With this victory, Chennai jumped to the top of the table with six wins in seven matches, pushing Rajasthan Royals, who have five wins in eight matches, to the second spot.
Chasing 134, Kolkata had a disastrous start as their skipper Gambhir (0) was dismissed by Ishwar Pandey in the second ball of the innings. Other opener Robin Uthappa (39) then shared a 51-run partnership with Manish Pandey (15). The duo blasted eight boundaries and one six in their 29-ball second wicket partnership.
However, CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni soon introduced Ashwin into the attack and the spinner got him a wicket with the very first delivery, dismissing Uthappa with Brendon McCullum pulling off a smart catch at short midwicket.
In his second over, Ashwin took another wicket in his first ball, sending Pandey back into the hut with Bravo taking the catch at the deep midwicket as KKR slipped to 61-3 in 7.1 overs.
Yusuf Pathan (13) and Suryakumar Yadav (16) tried to steady the innings but with Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja bowling in tandem, the boundaries dried up.
With the required run rate mounting, Yadav tried to pull a quick Mohit Sharma ball but Bravo pulled off a stunning low catch with one hand running in from long-on as Kolkata slumped to 76 for 4 in 12.2 overs.
Needing 47 off 31 balls, Pathan went for a big shot off Bravo, only to see his inside edge disturb the stumps as KKR looked down the barrel at 91 for five in 15.2 overs.
Earlier, Dwayne Smith (25) and Brendon McCullum (19) gave Chennai a blistering start as they put KKR attack to the sword and picked up fours and sixes at will to amass 38 in four overs. The introduction of spinners, however, sent the Chennai innings out of gear. — PTI
Scoreboard
Chennai Super Kings
D Smith run out 25
B McCullum lbw b Chawla 19
S Raina c Uthappa b Russell 17
F du Plessis not out 29
MS Dhoni c Uthappa b Russell 3
D Bravo c SA Yadav b Chawla 5
R Jadeja b Hogg 15
R Ashwin not out 9
Extras (lb 3, w 9) 12
Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 134
Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-64, 3-67, 4-81, 5-88, 6-124
Bowling
P Cummins 4-0-25-0
U Yadav 4-0-36-0
P Chawla 4-0-26-2
B Hogg 4-0-18-1
A Russell 4-0-26-2
Kolkata Knight Riders
R Uthappa c McCullum b Ashwin 39
G Gambhir c Dhoni b Pandey 0
M Pandey c Bravo b Ashwin 15
S Yadav c Bravo b Sharma 16
Y Pathan b Bravo 13
R Doeschate not out 38
A Russell run out 4
P Cummins c Jadeja b Bravo 0
P Chawla c Dhoni b Bravo 0
U Yadav b Nehra 0
B Hogg not out 2
Extras (lb 2, w 3) 5
Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 132
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-52, 3-61, 4-76, 5-91, 6-100, 7-101, 8-104, 9-116
Bowling
I Pandey 2-0-18-1
A Nehra 4-0-38-1
M Sharma 3-0-24-1
R Ashwin 2-0-5-2
R Jadeja 3-0-11-0
S Raina 3-0-12-0
D Bravo 3-0-22-3