Date:23/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/23/stories/2008102357232100.htm

Sport - Cricket

Superstars beats Heroes

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Superstars has six points from four matches
Heroes suffered its first defeat from three outings

Ahmedabad: A top-order tumble deflated Hyderabad Heroes as Chennai Superstars ran out winner in the Indian Cricket League match here on Tuesday night. Superstars won by 18 runs.

The victory helped Superstars join Royal Bengal Tigers atop the points tally. Both teams have six points each though Superstars has played four matches to Tigers’ three outings.

Poor start

A poor start marred Heroes’ march towards the target of 161 as openers Abdul Razzak and Jimmy Maher perished on the drive. Ambati Rayudu was run out after Syed Mohammad threw the stumps down.

Nantie Hayward then castled Justin Kemp and had Stuart Binny caught on the cut to leave Heroes wobbling at 51 for five in 6.3 overs. Skipper Chris Harris (15) and Nicky Boje (38) made a fight of it with the former carting R. Sathish for a six. Harris then took a mighty heave at Ian Harvey and had his stumps rearranged, and with it Hyderabad Heroes’ comeback dreams died.

From there, Heroes could score only 142 for nine in 20 overs and suffered its first defeat from three matches.

Belligerent Harvey

Opting to bat, Superstars scored 160 in 19.3 overs with a bulk of its runs coming in the first 10 overs as opener Harvey struck a belligerent 49 (21b, 3x4, 5x6).

Harvey whetted his appetite with a six off S. Shahabuddin and after a 10 minute light-failure break. A Binny over went for 29 runs. Harvey hammered Binny for four sixes that started off with a pull and ended with a slam over long-off.

However, Harvey missed his fifty as he miscued a shot off left-arm spinner Inder Shekar Reddy and Harris caught the skier running in from covers and his relief was palpable.

Harvey’s opening partner G. Vignesh (32) also played his part before poking at Boje. And from 97 for two in 10 overs, the scoring rate skidded as wickets fell though Hemang Badani (20) briefly hung in as Harris bowled a niggardly three for 18 spell

The scores:

Chennai Superstars 160 in 19.3 overs (Ian Harvey 49, G. Vignesh 32, Hemang Badani 20, Chris Harris three for 18, Inder Shekar Reddy two for 31) bt Hyderabad Heroes 142 for nine in 20 overs (Nicky Boje 38, Ibrahim Khaleel 29 n.o., R. Jesuraj two for 16, Nantie Hayward two for 24, Shabbir Ahmed two for 38).