CHENNAI, April 3 (PTI): Opener Murali Vijay cracked a blistering 56-ball century as Chennai Super Kings kept their semifinal hopes alive by beating Rajasthan Royals by 23 runs in a high-scoring Indian Premier League match here today.
Opting to bat, Chennai rode on Vijay�s stunning knock of 127 to post a highly challenging 246 on the board, which is the highest score in the cash-awash tournament.
Vijay lit up the M Chidambaram Stadium with the stunning innings, which he adorned with 11 sixes and eight fours, while Albie Morkel also made a breezy 34-ball 62.
The hosts then restricted Rajasthan to 223 for five, as opener Naman Ojha�s unbeaten 55-ball 94 and Shane Watson�s 60 off 25 balls went in vain.
Chasing the stiff 247-run target, Rajasthan were off to a flying start with Michael Lumb (37 off 26) and Naman Ojha producing a 69-run opening partnership, before the Englishman was removed by Morkel in the eighth over. Lumb struck four six fours and a six during his innings.
Hard-hitting batsman Yusuf Pathan (4), however, failed to show his pyrotechnics and returned cheaply when Morkel struck for his second wicket in the last ball of the same over.
Watson, who hit five fours and as many sixes, then paired up with Ojha in the middle and the duo added 97 runs for third wicket partnership.
But the partnership came to an end just when their team was cruising to the target, thanks to Doug Bollinger who bowled out Watson in the 16th over.
From thereon, Rajasthan�s runrate continued to dip and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Faiz Fazal (4) and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (7) failed to deliver in the middle as despite a classy knock by Ojha, Rajasthan failed to achieve the target.
SCORECARD
Chennai Super Kings: Vijay c Fazal b Watson 127, Hayden c Watson b Wagh 34, Raina c Tait b Watson 13, Morkel run out 62, Dhoni c Narfwal b Watson 0, Badrinath not out 4, Anirudha not out 0. Extras: (B-4, W-2) 6. Total: (for 5 wkts in 20 overs) 246. Fall of Wickets: 1/62, 2/83, 3/235, 4/241, 5/241; Bowling: Yusuf 4-0-44-0, Narwal 2-0-41-0, Tait 4-0-44-0, Watson 4-0-47-2, Wagh 1-0-16-1, Warne 3-0-32-1, Jhunjhunwala 2-0-18-0.
Rajasthan Royals: Lumb c Anirudha b Morkel 37, Ojha not out 94, Yusuf c Bollinger b Morkel 4, Watson b Bollinger 60, Fazal c Anirudha b Muralitharan 4, Jhunjhunwala c Raina b Bollinger 7, Raut not out 2. Extras: (B-4, LB-6, W-4, NB-1) 15. Total: (for 5 wkts in 20 overs) 223. Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-80, 3-177, 4-192, 5-210. Bowling: Morkel 4-0-56-2, Bollinger 4-0-15-2, Tyagi 4-0-45-0, Muralitharan 4-0-52-1, Jakati 3-0-37-0, Raina 1-0-8-0.
