Ashes rivals combine as Royals cruise home

Englishman Jos Buttler played the decisive hand and Steve Smith the support act as Rajasthan Royals eased to a seven-wicket to send Chennai Super Kings to the foot of the ladder in Abu Dhabi overnight.

In conditions that offered plenty for both pace and spin, Buttler's unbeaten 70 from just 48 balls was the game's standout knock (he doubled the next best score) and his scoring rate allowed Smith to navigate a tricky opening period to his innings, when even he thought he had been dismissed by his NSW and Australia teammate Josh Hazlewood.

Fresh from dismissing Robin Uthappa in his second over, Hazlewood looked in impressive touch as he welcomed Smith with a slip, a leg gully and a swinging white ball.

The first four balls he bowled to his compatriot were dots, Smith defending stoutly as Hazlewood – playing just his second game of the tournament – attacked the stumps. From the first ball of the paceman's following over, Smith shuffled forward and across as he tried to work the ball through the leg side. He missed, and looked to be trapped plumb lbw.

When the standing umpire signalled not out, CSK captain MS Dhoni reviewed and Smith seemed resigned to his fate, admitting post match he thought he was out. But a thin inside edge was revealed on hot spot, and the batsman continued on his way, eventually finding his groove.

Hazlewood finished his four overs with figures of 1-19 (two runs from eight balls against Smith) but was powerless thereafter as Smith and particularly Buttler made the target of 126 seem a formality.

After experimenting successfully with the reverse slog in his previous outing, Smith this time pulled out a ramp shot that flew over leg gully and away to the rope, the 31-year-old revealing it is an addition to his armoury he has been working on.

"I got one away," he said to Buttler as the two spoke after play. "I've been watching you, and trying to learn a thing or two."

In the end, the target was achieved with 15 balls to spare and the pair's 98-run stand remained unbroken, handing the Royals a win that keeps them within two points of the top four, though they have played one extra game.

Earlier, Jofra Archer (1-20) and spin pair Shreyas Gopal (1-14) and Rahul Tewatia (1-18) were all responsible for tying down Chennai's batting group, who failed to get going and were only given a fighting chance by a late Ravindra Jadeja cameo of 35no from 30 balls.

The Dhoni-led side have won just one of their past five matches and are now bottom of the ladder.