Batting blitz propels Chennai to 188

Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL, Centurion

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Chennai Super Kings (Raina 52, Dhoni 40, Bailey 30) v Kolkata Knight Riders
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Suresh Raina hit three fours and three sixes during his breezy 52

Chennai were deprived of the services of their most prolific batsman this season, but Matthew Hayden's team-mates ensured his absence didn't factor largely in their performance, as they posted a formidable score to boost their chances of a smooth sail into the final four. The effort was a product of a calculated performance by Suresh Raina and an equally shrewd effort by MS Dhoni, who built on a solid opening stand to put Kolkata Knight Riders under immediate pressure as they pursue a stiff task.

Raina saw off a relative slide in form - he had managed just 48 in his previous three innings - to quickly slip into his natural mode of play, using the flicks, dabs and cuts that characterize his batting with relentless frequency and opening up in timely fashion to retain the tempo set by the openers. He handled the spinners particularly well, playing them constantly in the V, and stepping up to the one pitched short, smacking Murali Kartik through point and pulling Ajantha Mendis over midwicket.

Dhoni, meanwhile, proved again that he remains Chennai's best middle-order batsman. He had been involved in four 50-plus stands before this, and added another one to his tally, mixing up his raw power and rotating the strike. He lofted David Hussey over long-off, and flat-batted Ajit Agarkar before surviving a chance, squandered yet again by Kolkata, as Kartik dropped a sitter at midwicket.

Chennai gained complete control in the 16th over as Raina launched into Ajantha Mendis, carting him for two sixes over midwicket, and punishing Dinda for one more in the 17th before miscuing a catch to point. It is an interesting statistic that Raina has managed just two fifties in the tournament, and still remains his team's second-highest run-getter, a measure of his incredible consistency. Dhoni and Albie Morkel accepted the baton, and promptly clubbed the opposition as 48 runs were leaked in the last four overs. Agarkar was once again guilty of gifting freebies as Morkel punished him in his final over, smashing a flat six over square leg before dismissing him into the stands the next ball and pinching 19 runs to seal the advantage at the halfway stage.

The Chennai innings was set up by a 59-run opening stand between Hayden's replacement George Bailey and Parthiv Patel, who recovered some form after a disappointing run that left him out of the side for five games. Kolkata again had to rely on spin to arrest Chennai's charge and the frequency with which they altered the attack provided a glaring indication of their plight.