Chennai hang on to clinch thriller against Delhi

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Morkel at first looked cautious before unleashing an onslaught on Sehwag in the 14th over with Morkel hitting three sixes and a four to take 23 runs from that over.

Sehwag, however, avenged by removing Morkel from a run out with a direct hit from the mid-wicket.

Needing 46 from last five overs and six wickets at hand, the match was anybody's and McGrath and Asif ensured that the asking rate crept to 11 from the last three overs.

The actual drama was enacted in the 19th over with V Yo Mahesh keeping the home supporters on the edge of the seat by removing Dhoni and Chamara Kapugedara in successive balls to set up a heart-stopping last over. For Delhi, Sangwan and Yo Mahesh took two wickets each while Asif got one.

Earlier, Gautam Gambhir (80) smashed his fourth half century of the tournament to lead Delhi Daredevils to a challenging 187 for five.

Gambhir held the Daredevils innings together with a 121-run third wicket stand with another half centurion Shikhar Dhawan (59) to take the home team near the 200-mark after his side lost captain Virender Sehwag (23) and AB de Villiers (0) in quick succession.

Gambhir, who survived two run out chances, hit 11 fours and a huge six before he was out in the 18th over off Laxmipathy Balaji.

Dhawan also batted beautifully at the other end and smashed six fours and two sixes from 46 balls for his 59 before becoming IPL debutant Balaji's second victim.

Gambhir, who brought up his fifty with a huge six over mid-wicket boundary off Manpreet Gony to the deafening roar of nearly 30,000 Kotla crowd, overtook his captain Sehwag (270) and eventually snatched the Orange Cap from Deccan Chargers' Rohit Sharma (258) for being the highest run-accumulator.

Put into bat, the Daredevils began on a brisk pace with Sehwag and Gambhir rotating strikes and hitting odd balls to the boundary before they were separated in the fifth over with the home team skipper being bowled by a Gony beauty for 23 at team score of 45.

Next man in de Villiers was cleaned up by his South Africa teammate Albie Morkel for first ball duck to send the home team to a spot of bother at 46 for two before Gambhir and Dhawan revived it.