Cameron White’s superb 77-run bang gone in vain as Chennai Super Kings dished out a disciplined allround display to cut up a secure 10-run victory over Deccan Chargers in their Indian Premier League here tonight.
Electing to bat, Chennai rode on the contributions of opener F du Plessis (42), Suresh Raina (32) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34) to place a difficult 160 for six in their stipulated 20 overs.
The hosts next returned to limit the Chargers to 150 for five to move to the fourth position in the factors table, still five points drifting off table-toppers Delhi Daredevils.
White blasted nine fours and a couple of sixes en route to his third half-century in four innings to keep Deccan in the hunt but the Australian didn’t get as much support from the other end.
Shikhar Dhawan (36) and Daniel Christian (27 not out) were the other two contributors for Deccan.
Chasing 161 to win, the Chargers lost opener Parthiv Patel in the second over when he got an inside edge onto his leg stumps to be bowled for the second consecutive time in the last two matches.
Dhawan and White, however, steadied the innings and stitched together a brisk 68-run partnership in nine over but a lucky break through in the 11th over helped Chennai to put Deccan on the backfoot.
Dwayne Bravo broke the stand when he deflected a straight shot from White, in his own bowling, onto the stumps to find Dhawan short of wicket at the non-strikers end.
Raina then pulled off a stunning return catch in the only over he bowled to dismiss skipper Kumar Sangakkara as Deccan slumped to 85 for three in 12 overs.
With the required runrate hovering over 10 runs per over,Daniel Christian picked up a much-needed six over mid-wicket off Ben Hilfenhaus to bring up the hundred after White completed his half-century with a single in the same over.