CRICKET WORLD

Opener Naman Ojha hit a quick half-century to power the Rajasthan Royals to a 17-run home victory over the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad.

Ojha top-scored with a fluent 80 while his fellow opener Michael Lumb smashed a belligerent 30 as the Royals amassed 177 for eight at the Sardar Patel Stadium.

Opener Murali Vijay gave chase with a spirited 42, but the Super Kings were restricted to 160 for six as the Royals clinched their fourth victory in a row to stay third in the standings.

The Royals, who had opted to bat, had blazed away at the start, but lost momentum in the middle overs and suffered a disappointing finish to their innings.

Lumb had helped the team off to a flyer, smashing three boundaries and two sixes in a 16-delivery stay, new-ball bowler Albie Morkel bearing the brunt of that attack as his first two overs went for 30.

Morkel, however, had the last laugh, snaring Lumb with a slower delivery, but Ojha kept the run rate up and together with Faiz Fazal (17) had left the Royals nicely placed at the half-way stage.

Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati gave the Super Kings a toehold in a game completely dominated by the Royals until then by securing the wickets of Fazal and Yusuf Pathan in successive overs.

But Ojha continued to hold steadfast and forged another partnership with Adam Voges, raising his half-century in the process, but his departure in the 18th over and Voges in the next, left the Royals floundering.

The home side finished on a chaotic note, losing three wickets in the final over - two of them run outs.

Matthew Hayden (19) sparked briefly at the start of the chase, but the innings gathered steam with Vijay's assault.

Vijay tore into Sumit Narwal, smashing the medium for two sixes and three boundaries in one over that yielded 24, but the Royals ploughed their way back with his dismissal.

Suresh Raina (14) made little impression, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni (21) and Subramaniam Badrinath (25) helped the Super Kings stay in touch with a 44-run stand and the match hung in the balance.

But the Super Kings again wobbled with the run out of Dhoni - after a mid-pitch collision with Badrinath for the second time in the tournament - and although Morkel weighed in with a sizzling 28 which included three straight sixes off Shane Warne, the visitors finished well short.