CHENNAI: Michael Hussey and Suresh Raina hit impressive half-centuries as Chennai Super Kings thrashed Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets for their fourth victory in a row in the Indian Premier League. In the other match of the day, Pune slumped to its seventh consecutive defeat, going down by 21 runs to Mumbai Indians to bow out of contention for a place in the playoffs. Hussey cracked 79 not out and shared 137 runs for the second wicket with Raina (61) to help Chennai overhaul Rajasthan's 147-6 with eight balls to spare. The victory propelled Chennai to third spot in the points table while Shane Warne-led Rajasthan suffered its fourth defeat from 10 outings to slip to fourth place. Chennai lost opener Murali Vijay early in their chase but Raina and the dependable Australian middle-order batsman Hussey ensured an easy victory for the defending champions. Hussey hit eight fours and a six in his 55-ball knock to upstage a fine 66-run effort by Rajasthan's Rahul Dravid. In Mumbai, the host was tottering at 96-4 before late cameos by Tirumalasetti Suman (36) and West Indies' Kieron Pollard (30) lifted it to a competitive 160-7. Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma was the standout bowler, picking up two wickets for just seven runs off his four overs. Pune was hardly ever in the contest after losing Jesse Ryder to the first ball of the innings by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, and Graeme Smith in the fourth over. Mumbai is now sitting pretty atop the league standings with 14 points from nine games. Rajasthan Royals 147-6 in 20 overs (R. Dravid 66, S. Watson 32; S. Jakati 2-22, A. Morkel 2-24). Chennai Super Kings 149-2 in 18.4 overs (M. Hussey 79 not out, S. Raina 61). Mumbai Indians 160-7 in 20 overs (T. Suman 36, K. Pollard 30; R. Sharma 2-7, Yuvraj Singh 2-22, J. Taylor 2-34). Pune Warriors 139-7 in 20 overs (M. Pandey 59, R. Uthappa 34 not out; L. Malinga 3-25). – Agence France
