Stoinis stuns Chepauk
Australian star’s blazing century helps Lucknow beat Chennai
Chennai, India - “Fortress Chepauk,” proclaimed a huge banner in CSK colours in the stands. By the end of the contest, though, Lucknow Super Giants had breached it to hand Chennai Super Kings their first defeat at home this season. It was their second loss against LSG in five days.
The star of the night was Marcus Stoinis, whose unbeaten 124 off 63 balls helped LSG pull off the highest successful chase at
Chepauk in T20 cricket. He was batting at No. 3 for the first time this season and achieved the target of 211 with three balls and six wickets to spare.
Stoinis' century came off 56 balls, just like Ruturaj Gaikwad's did earlier in the night after the CSK captain lost his seventh toss in eight games. Gaikwad's unbeaten 108 off 60 balls and Shivam Dube's 66 off 27 powered the Super Kings to 210 for 4.
CSK had looked in control for the majority of the defence. LSG needed 74 from the last five overs but Stoinis, with help from Nicholas Pooran and Deepak Hooda, silenced the Chennai crowd. The result took LSG to fourth place with ten points from eight games; CSK are fifth with eight points after eight games.
After LSG opted to bowl, Matt Henry struck in the first over. He bowled four balls on a good length, one slightly short of it, and then pitched the last one full. Ajinkya Rahane edged the drive, and with first slip wider than usual, KL Rahul dived full length to his right and completed a stunning, one-handed catch.
Rahul's athleticism, though, was followed by some shoddy fielding from LSG. In the second over, Yash Thakur dropped Daryl Mitchell off Mohsin Khan at short third. A little later, at the same position, Henry could not get his hand to a tougher chance from Gaikwad off Ravi Bishnoi.
Mitchell did not take advantage of the reprieve and fell for 11 off 10 but Gaikwad did not miss out. While the other CSK batters struggled for timing, he looked sublime and brought up his fifty off 28 balls, with seven fours.
Gaikwad found an ideal partner in Dube, who also hit the first six of the innings in the 13th over.