Raina's 87 guides Chennai to win
It was another one-sided game involving the Chennai Super Kings as they disbanded the Wayamba Elevens in the ninth game of the Champions League T20 by 97 runs at Centurion on Wednesday. The game, which
had a late evening start, saw the Wayamba side make the cardinal error of electing to field first and pay a huge price for it.
The golden rule in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 is never to chase under lights, because things do become difficult for the chasing team if the team batting first does hold onto their catches. However, Mubarak decided to
go the other way and soon had Matthew Hayden sent back.
Hayden has looked a tad underwhelming since the start of the Indian Premier League this year, and his batting has fallen away. He had got out for a duck in the previous game, and here, he struggled for most
part of his innings of 10, before http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ajantha-c42419 Mendis ended his misery – catching him plumb in front of the wickets for an LBW.
Suresh Raina then joined http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Murali-Vijay-c78035 at the crease and it was carnage after that. The pair took their time to get set at the crease – a good idea on South African tracks. Vijay had just got into his groove
in the over before Hayden got out with a six and three fours in one over from Chanaka Welegedara, but once Raina came in, even he had to take a backseat.
Raina hit a boundary off the second ball he faced and survived an early run-out chance, before hitting a six and a four off Thisara Perera. Shalika Karunanayake’s next over also went for that customary six
and soon Raina had brought up his half-century off 31 deliveries. And if the Wayamba side thought that they could have a respite after that, they were mistaken. Mendis’ final over and the 17th over of the innings went for 6, 2, 6, 6, 2, 6 and propelled the
side to 200 at the end of the 20 overs.
Raina did fall for 87 when he could have easily taken the singles and twos and got to his 100, while Vijay scored 68.
Chasing 201 under lights was always going to tough given the opposition bowling attack. Jeevantha Kalatunga had been a star of the previous game but he fell off the first ball he faced, while the rest of
the order barely contributed too much. With the mounting asking rate and a champion bowling line-up consisting of Doug Bollinger, Muthiah Muralitharan, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/R-Ashwin-c2228 and Albie Morkel, the side was rolled over for 103.
Raina’s knock earned him the man of the match award.
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