Hayden and Raina clinch thriller

Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab, IPL, Centurion

The Bulletin by Shwe Wai

Chennai Super Kings 185 for 3 (Hayden 89, Dhoni 56*) beat Kings XI Punjab 174 for 3 (Yuvraj 58*, Katich 50, Jayawardene 44*) by 12 runs (D/L method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Matthew Hayden ensured ownership of the orange cap for a bit longer with an explosive innings

Kings XI Punjab made Chennai Super Kings really sweat in a spirited chase towards a Duckworth-Lewis revised target of 187, but when it mattered most MS Dhoni's tactical nous won it for Chennai. Simon Katich had set the tone for Punjab's bravado, and Yuvraj Singh and Mahela Jayawardene batted superbly in the face of adversity, adding 60 in just 4.3 overs under lights. Then, with 43 left to defend off 24 balls, Dhoni took pace off the ball by calling on Suresh Raina's part-time offspin. Only 10 runs came off his two overs, which provided to be the final twist of the match.

Chennai's big total was set up by Matthew Hayden's belligerent 89, either side of an hour-and-a-half rain delay that reduced the match to 18 overs, and Dhoni's sparky 56 from 27 balls. Up against the strongest batting line-up in the tournament, Punjab's bowlers were pummelled into submission for the second match running. Hayden's sublime effort at one point seemed to be going down the drain before Dhoni turned to Raina.

When the story of Chennai's 12-run win in this thriller is retold, Hayden will be in the headlines but Dhoni and Raina will deserve a significant body of text. Punjab needed 30 from 12 after a good over from L Balaji only went for nine. Dhoni knew Yuvraj and Jayawardene were swinging freely, but gave Raina a second over. Under immense pressure, he did a fabulous job to win the game for Chennai. Bowling flat through the air and angling the ball into Yuvraj's leg stump, he only allowed six runs, two of which were leg-byes.

Yuvraj, who until then was ruthless, erred by twice backing away to flat deliveries when he was better off shuffling across and letting them go for wides. Having batted so fluently, benefiting from sloppy catching in the deep, Yuvraj and Jayawardene couldn't keep the pace in the last over. They managed only 11 of the 24 required.

Punjab's last four overs were in stark contrast to how Katich attacked early and then the butchery from Yuvraj and Jayawardene between the 10th and 14th overs. Undeterred by a wicket in the first over, Katich batted with superb confidence and rare aggression, not once looking anxious. His nudging and cutting was deft, but nothing matched three consecutive sixes off Manpreet Gony in the fifth over, each pulled off with clinical precision.

Balaji then struck with his first ball to cut Katich off on 50 from 25 balls in the ninth over. Needing 97 from 48 - more than two a ball - Yuvraj and Jayawardene pulled their weight. Yuvraj opened his shoulders, swinging away almost effortlessly across the line, while Jayawardene's biggest contribution was how he handled Muttiah Muralitharan.