Flintoff admits to IPL butterflies

Andrew Flintoff hits a useful 22 not out to take Chennai Super Kings to a winning total of 179 in Port Elizabeth

Andrew Flintoff admitted his hefty price tag brings an extra feeling of responsibility as he reflected on Chennai Super Kings’ first victory in the Indian Premier League.

Chennai thrashed the Bangalore Royal Challengers - captained by Flintoff’s England team-mate Kevin Pietersen - by 92 runs in Port Elizabeth to climb to the top of the fledgling table.

The Super Kings lost by 19 runs to the Mumbai Indians at the weekend but bounced back in style today.

Flintoff chipped in with a solid all-round performance, hitting 22 not out off 13 balls in Chennai’s 179 for five, then taking one wicket for 11 runs as Bangalore were bowled out for 87 in reply.

“It’s nice to get the first win,” said Flintoff. “For myself, I was a little bit nervous but it all came together and the lads are so pleased.

“I can’t put too much pressure on myself but I get paid that much money so there is a responsibility, but in the middle I can’t think about that.”

Matthew Hayden and Muttiah Muralitharan were the match-winners for Chennai, the former Australia opener hitting 65 from 35 balls while the Sri Lanka off-spinner took 3-11 from his four overs.

“We started well with the bat,” Flintoff added. “Matthew Hayden has retired from international cricket but you can see how good he is.

“Murali’s got thousands of wickets in all forms of cricket. He’s hard to play against and you saw that tonight.”

Muttiah Muralitharn snares Kevin Pietersen lbw for nought for the first of his three wickets in Chennai's 92-run triumph

Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his team’s display but admitted slips in the field will have to be eradicated.

“That’s the kind of start that’s needed,” he said. “If we get that kind of start then the middle and lower only need to go out and hit the ball.

“We’re quite happy with the batting and bowling but the fielding we need to improve.”

Regarding Muralitharan’s display, Dhoni added: “It’s great to have a bowler like him. When the wicket is helping him, he’s the type of bowler that will take you through.”

Pietersen was sanguine about the heavy defeat and chose to laud Hayden’s brutal innings.

“We didn’t really turn up today,” the England batsman told Setanta Sports. “We probably didn’t execute but when a genius like him does that, you’ve just got to say ‘well played’ sometimes.

“One hundred and seventy was a bit too much but that’s what happens in Twenty20 cricket. We’ll have to get our heads up now for our third game and make sure we compete.”