9:22 PM

Super Kings earn D/L win

Posted by Webmaster 11

The Chennai Super Kings moved a step closer to a semi-final place after they claimed a narrow three-run win over the Kolkata Knight Riders on the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Chasing the hosts' total of 149 for five, Chennai reached 55 for none after eight overs when play was halted due to rain.

And after an hour-long wait the umpires decided to call an end to the match, handing Chennai a narrow win - their seventh of the tournament.

Earlier, Chennai paceman Makhaya Ntini claimed the third hat-trick of the tournament - spread across two overs - as he claimed figures of four for 21 in the hosts' competitive total.

Salman Butt was the Knight Riders' highest scorer contributing 73 from 54 balls.

Ntini claimed the first wicket of his hat-trick at the end of the fifth over when Sourav Ganguly (two) backed away only to see his stumps knocked back to leave the hosts 28 for two.

Butt and Debabrata Das then put on a stand of 86 for the third wicket before Ntini was inserted back into the attack in the 16th over with immediate effect.

The South African bowled Das (27) with his first ball of his second spell, before hitting the stumps again with his very next delivery to remove David Hussey.

Butt finally fell in the 18th over when he was trapped leg before wicket by Lakshmipathy Balaji as the hosts registered a competitive total.

Chennai were gifted two runs to begin their reply as Shoaib Akhtar sprayed the first two balls of the innings.

Chennai's innings gathered further pace in the next over from Ishant Sharma when Stephen Fleming crashed consecutive fours after Parthiv Patel also found the fence.

With rain looming that helped the visitors remain just ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis method, which would prove crucial when play was finally halted.

Fleming finished unbeaten on 32 while Patel made 19.

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