Chennai take nail-biter

Stephen Fleming blasted 44 off just 28 balls © Getty Images

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The Chennai Super Kings claimed 15 off the final over to seal a nailbiting four-wicket win over the Delhi Daredevils on the last ball of the innings.

Contributions from Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Stephen Fleming, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Albie Morkel put them close to their victory target of 188, but the task seemed to have defeated them coming into the final over with 15 needed.

Manpreet Gony hammered Shoaib Malik for six off the first ball, with a wide and an edged four contributing to the tension, before Manoj Tiwary lifted the final delivery over the infield for the winning run - despite a fine attempted catch from Shikhar Dhawan.

Earlier Dhawan (59 from 46 deliveries) and Gautam Gambhir (80 off 49) had forged a century-stand which seemed to put their side in a winning position with a total of 187 for five.

Gambhir, the tournament’s highest scorer, and India team-mate Virender Sehwag began in positive fashion, compiling 45 runs in five overs, before Sehwag (23 off 18) and AB de Villiers fell to yorkers from Gony and Morkel respectively.

Gambhir survived a tight run-out shout to lead a partnership of 121 with Dhawan.

Gambhir passed 50 with an enormous six over deep mid-wicket off Gony and upped the pace from there, including three consecutive boundaries off Palani Amarnath.

Dhawan joined in, hitting a maximum off Lakshmipathy Balaji and bringing up his half-century, but the 26-year-old hit back later in the over.

Gambhir drove one straight at Kapugedera to end an excellent partnership and Dhawan soon followed, finding the same fielder in the deep to give Morkel his second wicket.

In reply, Vidyut raced to 40 off 22 balls before holing out to Dhawan off Pradeep Sangwan.

Fleming (44 off 28) took up the baton from Vidyut, finding gaps square on both sides of the wicket to pilfer a slew of boundaries.

But he too fell before reaching 50, the victim of a good low catch from de Villiers off the returning Mohammad Asif.

Morkel (31 off 15) struck three consecutive sixes and a four off one Sehwag over, but was run out shortly after, and when Dhoni fell for 33 off 33 balls it seemed the match was Delhi’s - but Gony and Diwari saw Chennai home.