Chargers and Super Kings win

MUMBAI, India (AP):

India pace bowler Ishant Sharma produced a fiery opening spell to take 5-12 and help Deccan Chargers beat Kochi Tuskers by 55 runs in the IPL yesterday; and Chennai Super Kings defeated Pune Warriors by eight wickets.

On a Kochi pitch aiding seam bowling, Sharma ripped through the top order as the home side was bowled out for 74 in 16.3 overs in reply to Deccan's score of 129-7.

Sharma grabbed five wickets in his first two overs and conceded only six runs, bowling two batsmen, having two caught behind and another out lbw.

"Sitting in the dressing room we thought 130 is a good total on this pitch,'' Sharma said. "We just bowled in the right areas, but I need to thank Zaheer Khan because he told me to keep working hard on my fitness.''

South African pace bowler Dale Styen also bagged three wickets on a forgettable day for the Jayawardene-led side.

Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara (65) and Cameron White (31) added 90 for the fourth wicket after Deccan were put into bat. Seam bowler Vinay Kumar removed them both with successive deliveries en route to finishing with 3-25.

In Mumbai, Australia pace bowler Doug Bollinger bagged 3-21 and Subramaniam Badrinath slammed an unbeaten 63 in Chennai's win at D.Y. Patil Stadium.

Bollinger came up with timely strikes to restrict Pune to 141-6 after the home side elected to bat. Badrinath then produced a neat 44-ball knock as Chennai scored 145-2 with three balls left.

For the losing team, which included Jamaican pacer Jerome Taylor (0-27 off four overs), captain Yuvraj Singh was the top scorer with 62 not out off 43 deliveries, with four sixes and three fours.