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Deccan Chargers win by six wickets and Chennai are left to lament another painful loss. They aren't the losing finalists they were last year and need to fire if they hope to make it into the semi-finals. That's it from us for now, as the IPL moves swiftly along to the next game - Kolkata versus Mumbai. Over 19.3 Balaji 6-1-4 : 169-4 - Dhoni unpads and decides to take to the outfield for the last over, handing over the wicketkeeping duties to Parthiv. Gibbs decides he doesn't want the game going down to the wire, spanking six over midwicket to open the ultimate over of the match. One to mid-off and four over point win it for the Deccan Chargers, who make it four wins the trot.
Over 19 A Morkel 2-1-2-1-lb-1 : 158-4 - Dhoni takes his time in placing his field, as he looks to defend 16 runs off two overs. Extra cover is beaten as Azhar flat-bats a couple, then working a single away to the on-side to return the senior statesman to the strike, who runs hard for two behind square on the leg-side. Azhar lives to bat on, as his Morkel strikes him on the pads, but his attempted sweep fetches a leg-bye as the umpire utters 'not out'. It was going down the leg-side, clearly.
Over 18 Oram 1-4-0-2-1-1 : 150-4 - Fine-leg is up in the circle, and Gibbs is well aware of this, hauling out the deft paddle for four and then fetching two down the ground as long-on fumbles.
Over 17 A Morkel 1-4nb-1-1-1-0-1 : 141-4 - Raina's direct-hit is a split-second too late as non-striker Gibbs makes his ground in time and then watches on as Morkel spews out an ugly full-toss no-ball, which zoots pat batsman and wicketkeeper and to the fence for five extras. Ouch. Gibbs brings up his half-ton with another scampered single off just 45 deliveries and then turns more of the same over with sidekick Azhar.
Over 16 Muralitharan 1-W-0-0-0-1 : 131-4 - What is essentially a last throw of the dice from Dhoni, sees the strike spinner enter the attack. WICKET! Muralitharan's reintroduction works a treat straight away as Smith's threatening knock grinds to a halt. Coming around the wicket to the right-hander, Muttiah pitches one dead in front and gets it too keep straight on. There is a bit of doubt about the height, according to Hawk Eye, but the Windies star is out of there as Bilakhia comes out to bat and the wristy spinner completes his four-over allotment.
Over 15 Oram 4-1-2-0-1-6 : 129-3 - Smith swats an errant leg-side long-hop through midwicket for four as he continues to prove the better selection ahead of Scott Styris, then content milking two to the sweeper-cover off a full toss and slamming another full bunger high and hard over cow corner for six.
Over 14 Balaji 1-0-0-W-1-0 : 115-3 - WICKET! The reintroduction of the strike bowler to the attack does the trick, as Sharma's back away to the leg-side and subsequent square-cut succeeds in doing nothing more but offer Dhoni the edge. Balaji is pretty pleased with that breakthrough, at a key juncture in this encounter, and Windies all-rounder Smith comes out to bat.
Over 13 Oram 1-0-1-1-1-2 : 113-2 - Joginder is yanked out of the attack as giant Jacob turns his arm over in a match for a first time in a while. Sharma gets a full bunger away for one and Gibbs' premeditated paddle brings another. Nelson arrives courtesy the South African's scampered single to short third man and Raina drives down the ground for another two that ends a decent over from the hefty 'all-rounder'.
Over 12 Raina 0-1-1-4-1-1 : 107-2 - Raina completes his four-over allotment as Gibbs works a single through square-leg to bring up Hyderabad's collective ton and then beats the diving sweeper-cover fielder to fetch four on the sweep.
Over 11 J Sharma 1-4-1-6-1-1 : 99-2 - The medium-pacer resumes proceedings after the interval as Dhoni looks to hold Muralitharan back for the 'death'. Gibbs takes advantage of a lack of third man, slicing four away and then watching from the non-striker's end as Sharma screams six over the long-on fence and into the Kingsmead parking lot. 14 runs off the over, and the tactical timeout seems to have worked for the chasing Chargers.
Over 10 Raina 1-2-0-1-0-1 : 85-2 - Gibbs steers two clear of third man and then turns the singles over with his batting partner, as Raina whizzes through another over and the tactical timeout rolls into being.
Over 9 Muralitharan 1-wd-1-0-1-1-0 : 80-2 - A quiet passage of play, as far as the run's front is concerned, continues and Gilchrist's early-innings theatre is being tossed out the windwo by Chennai's middle-order.
Over 8 Raina 1-1-W-0-0-0 : 75-2 - WICKET! Laxman perishes in a similar fashion to Gilchrist, failing to get on top of the extra bounce produced by the part-time spinner off the Kingsmead track and cutting one straight into the hands of deep-ish point. The new man in now is Rohit, who's had a pretty decent IPL with the bat thus far.
Over 7 Muralitharan 1-1-1-0-1-0 : 73-1 - Laxman and Gibbs peter out Chennai's chase that much more, picking up a mere four singles.
Over 6 Raina 0-0-1-W-1-1 : 69-1 - WICKET! Dhoni does not have another recognised spinner on offer so Raina is hauled into the attack with his part-time trundlers and catch Gilchrist off guard, whose lazy cut finds the top edge and scoots into the welcoming hands of the man in at short third man. In comes Laxman, improving on his first-ball quacker last time out with a single worked through the on-side.
Over 5 Muralitharan 1-0-0-1-0-4 : 66-0 - Here's a key bowling change, as the legendary spinner enters the attack inside the Powerplay and beats Gibbs with a couple past the bat. The South African and the Aussie seem content to bide their time against the Sri Lankan, who belts out a hopeful appeal for lbw. Clearly it pitched outside leg-stump to the left-hander. Why on earth big Oram is fielding at mid-off is beyond me, but he fails to get down in time as Gilchrist's straight drive spoils an otherwise cheap over with a boundary.
Over 4 A Morkel 0-1-4-6-1-0 : 60-0 - So, there is a place for the classic cover drive in Twenty20 as Gilchrist does exactly that to bring up the fastest opening 50 in the history of the Indian Premier League and then goes the aerial route again over square-leg for six. Morkel's opening over has not done the trick for Chennai, who seemed destined for another defeat today.
Over 3 Balaji 0-wd-6-4-0-6-0 : 48-0 - Balaji spills a tough one-handed return catch to his left as Gilchrist's flat-bat rides Lady Luck. The bowler's errant slower ball then almost gets away with a wide as umpire Howell's belated call brings on the extra. Gilchrist tests the catching prowess of the fans seated beyond the square-leg fence with his latest swat for six and then heaves four through midwicket and boy oh boy is this chase off to a scorching start. Six more will do, thank you very much, as those in attendance behind the long-on ropes duck for cover on the back of Gilchrist's merciless aggression.
Over 2 Gony 1-4-0-wd-6-4-4 : 31-0 - Gibbs does love that straight drive through the air, and bangs his umpteenth IPL boundary over the bowler's head before almost having his block knocked off by Gony's bouncer. Using the lanky seamer's pace, Gibbs then merely wafts to the leg-side and watches with a smile as the ball flies over fine-leg for the first six of the innings. Some superb timing and placement follows, as Gibbs' wristy strokeplay punches the gap between mid-on and midwicket for four. Gony's 20-run marathon ends with the star South African wielding four more, this time backward of square on the on-side. Ouch, Manpreet, ouch.
Over 1 Balaji 0-2-4-4-1-0 : 11-0 - The strike bowlers renders his two slips redundant with a leg-side delivery that allows Gilchrist to get of the mark with two on the glance. The Aussie great then employs that characteristic smack over extra cover of his twice on the trot, fetching the first and second boundary of the chase, the second of which is the 2000th boundary in the history of the IPL. We are good to go again, as Gibbs, Gilchrist, the umpires and the Hyderabad unit head out to the middle again. In other news: Daredevils batsman has been ruled out of the 2009 Indian Premier League after picking up a hand injury during the Delhi franchise's recent clash against the Chennai Super Kings. "It's my bad luck. The surgery will be done in Johannesburg and I'll be out of action for four to six weeks," Tiwary told the Kolkata-based Telegraph. "I'm bitterly disappointed." Chennai finish on 165 for six and that's about par for this track. Hayden and Raina did the work up front before Dhoni held up the middle. Oram's late-order theatrics were entertaining to say the least, while RP Singh's frontfoot troubles were a woe for the Deccan Chargers. Spinners Ojha, and to an extent Rao and Sharma, shone with the ball again. A lot depends on Gilchirst and Gibbs at the top of the pursuit, of course, but one fancies the Hyderabad franchise should make it four wins on the trot today. Over 20 RP Singh 4-0-nb-1-0-W-0 : 165-6 - The Indian southpaw seamer has the unenviable task of delivering the final over of the innings and comes in for instant tap as Oram bludgeons four straight down the ground. Singh hits back with a bouncer that evades the wielding willow of the batsman but then oversteps for the fourth time this knock. Oram slaps the subsequent free-hit down the throat of the man on the square-leg fence, who spills the catch and the batsmen run a single. WICKET! Badrinath wastes his return to the strike, missing his attempted glance over midwicket and then holing out in the mid-off area as the bolwer runs hard and takes the return catch. Gony comes to the crease but won't face the last ball of the innings as the batsmen crossed while the ball was in the air. Oram can't do anything with the ultimate delivery, nailing into his pads and failing to run a single with Gony, who is well routed in his crease at the non-striker's end. Over 19 Edwards 0-0-1-4-1-0 : 159-5 - Badrinath wants nothing more than to get Oram off strike, and eventually does so with a single skewed away to mid-off. It pays off, as Oram resumes control with a clearance of the front foot, extension of the elbow, and full swing through the line to the square-leg ropes. Edwars then tries a yorker, but the big left-hander is up to the task and jams a single away to deep cover. Over 18 S Ahmed 4-6-6-1-2-1 : 153-5 - Gilchrist drops third man back but the horse is bolted as Oram slices four wide of the man. Ahmed isn't getting his yorker length at all right, as he pitches too short and watches in horror as the giant Black Caps star nails back-to-back sixes over long-on and long-off respectively. Gilchrist then has a word with the plighted bowler, returning to his position behind the stumps with haste as Ahmed corrects his length for all of one delivery and then spewing out a full toss for two through extra cover. 20 runs off the over. Ouch. Over 17 V Rao 1-1-1-6-W-4 : 133-5 - Oram gets a full toss, and instead of milking it over cow corner he thuds it down the ground for one. WICKET! Morkel then shows him how it is done, hammering a biggie over long-on before trying the same over midwicket, but instead perishing on the fence to the welcoming hands of RP Singh. Rao is elated with the wicket and does a hop, skip and jump for joy as Badrinath strides out to the middle to resume Chennai's charge with Oram. The new man in employs some deft timing and placement to get off the mark, his guide to third man beating a chasing Laxman to the fence. Over 16 S Ahmed 1-1-0-0-1-4 : 120-4 - Morkel and Oram swing through the line of a couple but their lack of placement brings a mere single apiece. Ahmed then gets away with what surely should have been called an off-side wide, as umpire Howell practises a bit of generosity to the bowler. A couple more yorkers keep Oram's willow-wielding hopes at bay, before a rank half-volley spoils it all and allows Morkel to flat-bat one straight down the ground for four. Over 15 R Sharma 1-1-4-0-0-1 : 113-4 - Whizzing through another over, the part-time spinner isn't afraid to flight it and pays the price somewhat as Oram sails one through extra cover for four. Over 14 Edwards 0-0-2-0-1-0 : 106-4 - Morkel gets in a string of sighters before forcing a short delivery away to the on-side for two, returning to the strike to have the returning pace ace beat him with a cracking away-swinger. Over 13 Ojha 1-1-W-0-1-W : 103-4 - WICKET! Dhoni dances down the track while looking to go the aerial route over cover. Instead he gets a thick edge which balloons down the throat of the man in the deep on the off-side, leaving Flintoff's replacement - Oram - to come out to bat. WICKET! Ojha strikes again and this time it's dangerman Hayden who has to go. He too tries to use his feet to the spinner, squirting his hefty swing across the line down the throat of midwicket. Off goes Haydos, one short of a half-ton and in comes Morkel. Over 12 S Ahmed wd-0-1-1-0-0-1 : 100-2 - The new bowler and 2009 IPL debutant kicks off his spell with a wide, leaving Hayden to dance down the track and flat-bat one into the non-striker's stumps, which ricochets away for one. Over 11 Ojha 1-1-1-0-4-1 : 96-2 - Dhoni's premeditated lap-paddle brings him four to fine-leg, thereafter steering a string of singles with Hayden as Ojha's entry into the attack brings a further flurry of runs. Over 10 V Rao 1-1-wd-6-0-1-1 : 88-2 - The chaps working in the manual scoreboard have to duck for cover as Dhoni heaves six over midwicket, leaving all and sundry gathered beyond the fence in that area scurrying out of the ball's line. And that'll be the strategic break too. Over 9 R Sharma 1-1-4-1-1-0 : 77-2 - Deft timing and placement brings Hayden four more on the drive as Sharma pitches too full. Other than that, it's plenty of obligatory singles to the outfield as the tactical timeout nears. Over 8 V Rao 0-1-1-1-1-0 : 69-2 - Hayden and Dhoni steady ship in the wake of Raina's departure with a couple of singles apiece, as Rao's little trundlers continue to impress on a track well suited to the fast bowlers. Over 7 R Sharma 0-1-1-0-W-1 : 65-2 - WICKET! Improving with every game, the part-timer manages the key wicket of Raina, as the left-handed Indian gets a full delivery and smacks it straight back to the bowler, who takes a low catch to send the threatening batsman packing. Next in is captain Dhoni, who turns a single around the corner to get off the mark and steal the strike from Hayden. Over 6 V Rao 4-1-0-1-1-0 : 62-1 - The spinner starts with a rank long-hop and is duly slapped away for four courtesy Raina, then tightening up his line and length to bring to an end the Powerplay. Over 5 D Smith 6-1-4-1-1-4 : 55-1 - The Chennai batsmen greet the change of bowling without mercy, as Raina sales six over midwicket and Hayden plays on the up through gully for four, who then thwacks four down the ground to leave the Windies all-rounder wondering if he'll get another over today. Over 4 RP Singh 0-1-0-nb-wd-2nb-1-4-0 : 38-1 - A host of extras bring a string of free-hits as Hayden holes one to cover, but it doesn't matter, and then nails a boundary through the on-side with one of those ugly swats of his. The nine-ball over finally ends, and the tourney's leading wicket-taker mopes back to his fielding mark. Over 3 Edwards 0-4-0-4-2-0 : 28-1 - The pace ace offers the southpaw Aussie too much width, as Hayden duly spanks a couple of boundaries through the cover region. Gilchrist then trots up to the bowler and probably advises to bowl a slower delivery. He does, and it flummoxes Hayden, who offers the edge, and Gilchrist spills a tough chance diving to his left. Over 2 RP Singh 0-4-4-1-0-wd-6 : 18-1 - Hayden is off to his usual theatrical start, banging four through midwicket and then lacing the next to the point fence. Singh's bouncer then gets the better of the tall left-hander, who so very nearly offers a return catch off the shoulder of the bat. Raina then rides Lady Luck, slicing directly to gully and smiling wide as the fielder - Bilakhia - spills a relatively simple catch. The Indian ends the over on a 'DLF Maximum' note, screaming a biggie over extra cover. Over 1 Edwards 0-W-2-0-0-0 : 2-1 - WICKET! It's instant success for the Windies star as he cuts Patel in half with one that jags back off the seam and then snapples the diminutive opener, who gloves his attempted glance down the leg-side and Gilchrist does the rest. Next in is Raina, who gets off the mark with two ticked to fine-leg before seeing off some steep bounce to close the over. We are good to go, as Patel, Hayden, the umpires and Deccan Chargers make their way out to the middle.
Teams: Chennai: Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Dhoni, Albie Morkel, Jacob Oram, Subramaniam Badrinath, Manpreet Gony, Joginder Sharma, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Muttiah Muralitharan. Weather: Sunny skies adorn Durban today, so thankfully we are in for a full game. Pitch: Adam Gilchrist reckons there is some moisture in the track to pounce on, Greg Blewett hails it as an 'late belter' and Sunil Gavaskar reckons the fast bowlers are in for a good day. So, you decide. Deccan Chargers have won the toss and opted to have a bowl first. Hello and welcome to Cricket365's over-by-over coverage of game 16 of the 2009 IPL. This one sees the unbeaten Hyderabad franchise take on the struggling Super Kings at Kingsmead in Durban.
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