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Rajasthan Royals 211-5 (Smith 91, Kamran Akmal 58, Morkel 2-35) v
Chennai Super Kings 201-7 (Morkel 71, Patel 54, Sohail Tanvir 3-33)
Scorecard from Chennai
Rajasthan Royals won by ten runs
By
Graham Wilson
Game 49 of the Indian Premier League saw the Rajasthan Royals beat the Chennai Super Kings by ten runs in a high-scoring affair in Chennai.
Graeme Smith and Kamran Akmal hit blistering half-centuries as the Rajasthan Royals posted 211 for five before Sohail Tanvir and Shane Warne shared five wickets in restricting the Super Kings to 201 for seven.
Smith (91) added 127 for the first wicket with Swapnil Asnodkar, who hit 41 before Kamran Akmal came in and needed just 26 balls to reach a half-century, hitting four fours and three sixes.
Smith was brutal, nine fours and three sixes coming from the South African captain's bat before compatriot Albie Morkel took two late wickets for the Super Kings. In all, Smith faced 51 deliveries.
Morkel returned figures of two for 35 with Suresh Raina removing Smith.
Morkel starred later on, keeping his side in the hunt by hitting 71 from 40 deliveries, including four sixes and six fours. The Super Kings overcome the early loss of Stephen Fleming (seven) to a run out with Parthiv Patel hitting 54 and Suresh Raina 45, the pair adding 70 in quick time for the second wicket.
As so often happens, the introduction of Warne had an immediate effect, Raina caught by Mohammad Kaif off of the Australian leg-spinner before Patel was stumped.
Morkel was left with an increasingly difficult task, all the more so when big hitters Mahendra Singh Dhoni (12) and Subramaniam Badrinath (one) departed cheaply.
Morkel was out from the penultimate delivery when he was caught by Ravi Jadeja off of Sohail Tanvir, who finished with three for 33 by bowling Abhinav Mukund one ball later.
� Cricket World 2008
