Chennai Superstars pip Delhi Gaints by 5 runs

Gurgaon: Hemang Badani struck a resilient half-century while Rajagopal Sathish missed it by a whisker before the Chennai Superstars bowlers joined hands to snatch a narrowly five-run victory over Delhi Giants in the 17th match of the ICL 20-20 Championship at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium on Friday night.

Hosts Delhi Gaints squandered a good start and kept losing wickets at regular intervals to go down against the mighty Chennai Superstars in a thrilling tie.

Click here for scores

The Superstars bowlers put up a creditable show and the pick of the bowlers was Nantie Hayward who scalped two wickets for 25 runs.

Openers Marvan Atapattu and Monish Mishra were off to a good start as they raced to 37 runs in five overs without losing any wickets. Both the openers took the pace attack to the swords, plundering fours and sixes all over the park.

However, their juggernaut was soon stopped by spinner Syed Mohammad who struck in his very first over, removing Mishra for an individual score of 36 off 22 balls. He was clean bowled round his legs in the eighth over of the innings. Exactly six balls later, Atapattu was run out and soon the complexion of the game changed.

Atapattu got into a mix up with newcomer Abid Nabi and Rajagopal Sathish's shy at the stumps got deflected from bowler Nantie Hayward's hand to the stumps at the non-striker end as Atapattu was caught short of the line.

Gilchrist questions Sachin's honesty | Gilchrist has lost our respect: Harbhajan

He scored 25 runs of 26 balls which included three hits to the boundary.

The next to go was Abbas Ali. He was caught at mid on by Shabbir Ahmed off a Nantie Hayward fuller delivery in the 11th over.

New man Abhinav Bali then joined Nabi but pressure got to him and he perished in the 13th over in his quest to increase the tempo at an individual score of 10 runs off seven bowls.

In the last bowl of 12th over, Nabi slammed a huge six over the long on off a Mohammad delivery. Bali also got into the act and heaved the first ball of the next over for a six but the very next bowl he was clean bowled, leaving the hosts tottering at 90 for four in the 13th over.

The next to go was Nabi. Four bowls later, Jai P Yadav also met with his end when he lofted a Hayward bowl only to find Sathish in the long on.

With 36 needed from 12 balls, all eyes were on Paul Nixon but he too perished when a Sahbbir Ahmed delivery castled his wicket by his legs. D Mahajan provided some fodder for the fans, hitting two sixes and a four in the last over but it proved too little too less at the end. He remained unbeaten at 21 off just 8 balls.

Earlier, Chennai Superstar survived a mini collapse of the top order after they decided to bat winning the toss in the freshly laid wicket. However, lefthander Hamang Badani hit a crucial 45-ball 51 and combined with R Sathish (41) to post a combatable 166 for 6 in allotted 20 overs.

Full coverage: Australia in India | More cricket news

Superstars opener Ian Harvey and G Vignesh failed to give a thumping start as the Delhi Giant pace trio -- TP Sudhindra, Shane Bond and Abid Nabi -- combined together to rip through the top order.

The first to go was Harvey, who was caught by Nixon in the first over off a Sudhindra delivery, while R Jesuraj was run out by Nixon in the third over. The next to go was Sri Lankan lefthander Russel Arnold.

He was caught infront of the wicket by Abid Nabi in the fourth over of the match and three overs later opener Vigesh's woods were rocked by a bond delivery as the visitors were reduced to 60 for 4 in the seventh over.

However, Hemang Badani rose to the occasion and scored an unbeaten 51, which included five hits to the boundary and a six. He was given company by Sathish who missed the fifty by a whisker. His innings of 41 included six fours and one shot over the boundary. In the 15th over Sathish clobbered a D Mahajan deliver over the boundary for a huge six.

His euphoria was short-lived though, as in the next over, he was plumbed in front of the wicket by AG Murtaza. Skipper Struat Law provided some fireworks in the end, hitting consecutive fours of Shane Bond in the 19th over to take his team past the 150 mark. However, in his quest to up the tempo, he perished in the last over with just one balls to spare. He was clean bowled by JP Yadav.