Jakati shines

Chennai beat Deccan Chargers :

Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati picked up 4-22 as Chennai Super Kings thumped Deccan Chargers by 78 runs for their third win on the trot in the Indian Premier League on Monday.

Jakati removed top-scorer Dwayne Smith (49) and Rohit Sharma in the space of four balls to help Chennai restrict Deccan to 100 all out in 14.4 overs in a one-sided contest at Buffalo Park here.

The 28-year-old unheralded bowler from Goa had also turned in a match-winning performance in Chennai’s win against Delhi Daredevils on Saturday.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni earlier led the batting charge with an unbeaten 58 while tournament’s leading run-getter Matthew Hayden slammed a 26-ball 43 to take Chennai to an imposing 178-3.

The win propelled Chennai to the top of the points table while Deccan slumped to their third defeat in a row.

Deccan’s chase began on a disastrous note as they lost their explosive openers Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs inside the first two overs.

Albie Morkel snapped up Gilchrist off the first ball of the innings when he trapped the Deccan skipper plumb in front while Suddep Tyagi accounted for Gibbs.

Morkel returned to dismiss Venkatsai Laxman (0) in his next over but was unlucky not to claim Smith whose easy skiers were dropped twice in a row by clumsy Chennai fielders.

Smith, who also survived a crazy mix-up at the crease, briefly sustained Deccan’s hopes, putting on 72 runs for the fourth wicket with Sharma (21).

But Deccan’s fate was sealed once Smith was trapped leg-before by Jakati. The West Indies’ all-rounder slammed five sixes and two fours in his 23-ball knock.

Chennai beat Deccan by 78 runs

Chennai 178-3 in 20 overs (M. S. Dhoni 58 not out, M. Hayden 43, S. Raina 32, M. Vijay 31). Deccan 100 all out in 20 overs (D. Smith 49, R. Sharma 21; S. Jakati 4-22, M. Muralitharan 2-11, A. Morkel 2-24) Chennai win by 78 runs.

EAST LONDON, South Africa, AFP