AB de Villiers smashed 105 not out as Delhi recorded a nine-run win over Chennai.
Daredevils see off Super Kings to keep 100 percent record intact
Indian Premier LeagueDurbanDelhi Daredevils 189-5 (A B de Villiers 105 no, T M Dilshan 50) v Chennai Super Kings 180-9 (M L Hayden 57)
Delhi Daredevils beat Chennai Super Kings by 9 runs
An explosive century from AB de Villiers laid the platform for the Delhi Daredevils to claim a nine-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings in the first instalment of Thursday's Indian Premier League double header.
De Villiers, batting at number three, flayed an unbeaten 105 off 54 balls as the Daredevils piled up 189-5 after opting to bat first at Kingsmead.
The South African hit five fours and six sixes to ensure his side recovered from early trouble at 8-2.
India opener Gautam Gambhir fell to the first ball of the match, failing to withdraw his hands from a Lakshmipathy Balaji (3-19) delivery that brushed the glove on the way through to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag (6) soon followed to a mis-timed pull in Manpreet Gony's (1-45) opening over.
Rapid stand
But De Villiers turned things around in some style, sharing 68 in 6.3 overs with Tillakaratne Dilshan for the third wicket.
After Dilshan hit an Albie Morkel (1-41) full toss to extra cover to end an entertaining knock of 50 off 27 balls, De Villiers took centre stage to dominate the remainder of the innings with his expansive strokeplay.
Dinesh Karthik (18) and Manoj Tiwary (9) were very much support acts during partnerships of 38 and 74 for the respective fourth and fifth wickets.
The Super Kings' run chase looked on course while opener Matthew Hayden blasted 57 off 27 balls.
But the middle order could not maintain the pace as Dhoni went for five, Andrew Flintoff 16 and Subramaniam Badrinath seven before the run rate collapsed in the final overs.
Chennai had raced to 57 in five overs when Parthiv Patel fell for 16, caught by De Villiers in the covers off Pradeep Sangwan, but Hayden carried on undaunted, and scored 19 - with two sixes and a four - in the seventh over, bowled by the unfortunate Aavishkar Salvi (0-41), with the score further boosted by five wides.
Collapse
But the Queensland left-hander, who is retired from international cricket, went for one big shot too many and was caught by Dirk Nannes at long-on off Sangwan.
After Dhoni's (5) cheap departure, Suresh Raina kept Chennai in contention with a quickfire 41 before he too was caught by De Villiers on the boundary to give Sangwan (3-28) his third wicket.
Flintoff, denied the chance to face England team-mates Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah as they were both left out of the Delhi team, was subject to a big appeal for leg before on his first delivery, and never really got going with any fluidity before he was caught by substitute David Warner at long-off from the bowling of Ashish Nehra (1-33) for 16 off 17 balls.
The late dismissals of Badrinath (7), Gony (6), Joginder Sharma (4) and Balaji (0) completed the collapse as Chennai finished their 20 overs just short on 180-9.
The Daredevils have now won two out of two in this year's IPL, while the Super Kings have just one win from three.
