Coulter-Nile stars but Dehli fall just short

Nathan Coulter-Nile’s three-wicket haul and Albie Morkel’s unbeaten 73 were not quite enough for the Delhi Daredevils as they fell agonisingly short of victory against the Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League thriller.

Needing six for a win off the last ball and with the well-set but clearly exhausted Morkel facing up to Dwayne Bravo, a flat strike went sailing towards the boundary only to fall just short of the rope. Delhi finished their 20 overs on 9-149, one run short of Chennai's total.

Bravo was left to defend 19 from the final over and Chennai owed much to a brilliant diving stop by Suresh Raina at deep backward point that restricted Morkel to two runs off the penultimate ball.

The closeness of the contest cannot, however, paper over the fact that Delhi’s strategy was strange.

They did not pick India internationals Saurabh Tiwary or Manoj Tiwary in their line-up and sent in three inexperienced batsmen ahead of $3.2m signing Yuvraj Singh and captain JP Duminy.

It was a tactic that miserably backfired on them as Chennai's left-armer Ashish Nera took three quick wickets, reducing Delhi to 3-39 after five overs.

Morkel came in at No.3, but soon became clearly affected by the high humidity, and was often resting on his haunches between deliveries.

Morkel did not get the support he needed, with Yuvraj’s return of nine runs from six deliveries doing nothing to assuage the Delhi nerves.

Yuvraj was under some pressure coming into the game. He had been dropped from the India squad after a poor World T20 last year and despite calls for selecting him for the World Cup, the selectors had resisted that temptation.

It was up to the left-hander to show what he is still capable of, but unfortunately for him, he was bounced out by Dwayne Bravo. Bravo dug it in short and Yuvraj played the pull too early, hit it off his toe and scooped it up gently for the short mid-wicket to take simple catch.

Duminy attempted one too many glides to third man and inside-edged one back onto his stumps after Ishwar Pandey got one to jag back into the left-hander.

Coulter-Nile hit his first ball for four but Ravichandaran Ashwin yorked him as he attempted a hoick in the 18th over.

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Coulter-Nile is bowled chasing quick runs // BCCI

The Perth Scorchers quick continued Australian bowlers' recent stranglehold over Black Caps batsman Brendon McCullum, removing him with his second ball.

The WA bowler should have had the prize scalp claimed from his first delivery, a ball angling down leg finding the leading edge that flew to first slip only to burst through the hands of Yuvraj.

Much like the World Cup final, McCullum charged the second ball he faced from an Australian. This time, however, the New Zealand skipper got some willow on leather, a top edge sending the ball high for Yuvraj to run behind the wicketkeeper and take comfortably.

Suresh Raina became Coulter-Nile's third wicket after seemingly premeditating the arrival of a bouncer only to be bowled by a full delivery.

Chennai skipper MS Dhoni took the attack to Coulter-Nile in the final over, smashing him for two big sixes as 16 runs flowed, before India's ODI captain was cramped for room and skied an attempted swat to become the Western Australian's third wicket.

Dwayne Smith took 16 runs from the opening over from Morkel and raced to 34 before he was caught on the fence by Coulter-Nile off the bowling of Imran Tahir, while Faf du Plessis added 32 from 23 balls to push Chennai to a total they did well to defend.