The last time so many people of this metro city called Chennai would have felt so devastated was in 2004, when the horrific tsunami struck the nearby Marina Beach claiming the lives of 5,000 people. Yesterday, it was another devastation. This time, it was on the field of play, as the Red Force of Trinidad and Tobago, blew down the fortress of the Chennai Super Kings, silencing over 40,000 fans and sending them home to ponder what would be the future of their team in the Nokia Champions League. T&T defeated the Super Kings by 12 runs to keep alive their hopes of making the semi-finals. Time and time again the Super Kings had stiffled opponents on their low and slow pitch but yesterday they got a dose of their own medicine as T&T, after making a paltry 123 for eight off 20 overs, stiffled their opponents keeping them down to 111 for six off their 20 overs.
T&T team should have retreated after such a small score but this was just the calm before the destruction. Instead, they came rumbling and roaring back to wash away the big bards like Mike Hussey, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Dhoni. Only T&T's own Dwayne Bravo stood firm but even he could not stopp the the Caribbean force, as they were unstoppable on the night. Man of the match Sunil Narine with 3-8 off four overs started the destruction with the wicket of Murali Vijay and when Ravi Rampaul sent back Hussey for 13, the defending Indian Premier League and Champions League winners sensed the tide was turning against them. Their resistance was not as strong as they thought as the Red Force turned in a hurricane performance, one that has escaped them for most of their journey so far.
Not even Bravo's 22-ball unbeaten 32 was adequate. In addition to Narine, leggie Samuel Badree conceeded only 14 runs in his four overs and Kevon Cooper, 15, while taking a wicket. Earlier, embattled T&T skipper Daren Ganga won the toss and a significanrt part of the match because batting first on this pitch proved priceless. The ball stopped and popped and did not come onto the bat and this made strokeplay very difficult. The lone change William Perkins topscored with 34 off 28 balls and this was pedestrian by his standards. He and Lendl Simmons put on 52 for the first wicket in 9.3 overs and after them only Adrian Barath with 23 of 22 balls and Cooper with a whirlwind 28 off 10 balls, with one four and three sixes got anything significant.
When Sherwin Ganga denied the Super Kings the 27 runs they needed off the last over, the fans rushed out of the stadium not pleased with their champion side. Flags were discarded in nearby drains, while mini fights broke out near the railway station. T&T's effort means that the Mumbai Indians with five points go through to the semis from this group. And this leaves the other four teams T&T (2pts), Cape Cobras (3pts), New South Wales (4pts) and Chennai Super Kings (2pts) fighting for the next spot. T&T next play the Cape Cobras tomorrow also in Chennai.
SCOREBOARD
T&T vs Chennai Super Kings
T&T inns
L Simmons run out 20
W Perkins c Badrinath b Jakati 34
D Bravo c&b Jakati 1
A Barath b Bollinger 23
D Ganga c Raina b Ashwin 8
D Ramdin lbw Bravo 3
K Cooper c Bravo b Bollinger 28
S Ganga b Bollinger 3
R Rampaul not out 1
Extras (lb1, w1) 2
Total for 8 wkts (20) 123
Fall of wkts: 52, 55, 57, 72, 90, 92, 110, 123.
Bowling: A Morkel 4-0-24-0, D Bollinger 4-0-30-3, D Bravo 4-0-25-1, S Jakati 4-0-18-2, R Ashwin 4-0-25-1.
Chennai inns
M Hussey c Ramdin b Rampaul 13
M Vijay b Narine 6
S Raina c&b Narine 2
S Badrinath run out 14
W Saha lbw Cooper 8
M Dhoni c&b Narine 7
D Bravo not out 32
A Morkel not out 18
Extras lb6, w4, nb1 11
Total 6 wkts (20) 111
Fall of wkts: 21, 25, 27, 48, 52, 75.
Bowling: S Badree 4-0-14-0, R Rampaul 4-0-35-1, S Narine 4-0-8-3, S Ganga 4-0-33-0, K Cooper 4-0-15-1.
Result:T&T won by 12 runs.
T&T 2pts.
Man-of-match: Sunil Narine.
