Hayden sinks Mumbai IPL hopes

Matthew Hayden made a controlled half-century as Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League at St George's Park here on Saturday.

The defeat virtually ended Mumbai's chances of reaching the semi-finals. With only one match left, against the top-of-the-log Delhi Daredevils, they are stuck in seventh place.

Hayden made 60 not out off 57 balls, pacing his innings superbly as Chennai chased down a moderate Mumbai total of 147-5, winning with five balls to spare.

Chennai entrenched themselves in second place in the eight-team competition.

JP Duminy was mainly responsible for Mumbai reaching their total. The South African left-hander made 62, his fifth half-century of the tournament, off 54 balls.

It was a familiar tale for Mumbai, with Duminy holding the innings together after the team's stars, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar, were dismissed.

Jayasuriya threatened to play a major innings, hitting 30 off 17 balls, before top-edging a catch to point. Tendulkar made 11 before he was caught at deep mid-wicket.

Duminy and Abhishek Nayar (33 not out) put on 65 for the fourth wicket before Duminy was run out, backing up too far, in the final over.

Hayden was unusually cautious at the start of Chennai's innings. At the mid-innings break he had scored only 15 off 28 balls in a total of 56-2. Chennai looked in a trouble when Subramaniam Badrinath was out in the 11th over but Hayden, partnered by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, lifted his scoring rate as Chennai won comfortably in the end.

Hayden reached his fifth half-century of the campaign with a huge six off Harbhajan Singh which sailed out of the ground beyond mid-wicket.

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Sunday , AFP