Suresh Raina stars in Chennai's win over Hyderabad

Suresh Raina's explosive 99 from 52 balls helped Chennai beat Hyderabad, by a massive 77-run margin on Wednesday to reclaim top spot in the points table.

Chennai's openers, Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay, started cautiously and scored 26 from the first four overs. They switched gears in the fifth over as Vijay smashed Ishant Sharma for three-consecutive sixes. But Vijay was dismissed in the next over to Thisara Perera which brought Raina to the crease.

He took nearly two overs to find his first boundary but once he did, it was difficult to contain him. Raina and Hussey frequently peppered the boundary and etched Chennai's hundred in the 11th over. By the 15th over, they were 136 for one.

The floodgates opened in the 17th over as Raina clobbered Karan Sharma for four fours and one six. Chennai were setback in the 18th over when they lost Hussey and captain MS Dhoni. But that didn't affect Raina as he hit a six and a four in the same over.

Raina, who was on 86 at the end of the 19th over, hit two fours and sneaked a few singles in the 20th but he missed out on a ton and finished unbeaten on 99. His innings helped Chennai post a formidable total of 223.

"It was a good wicket to bat on and we played well," Raina said. "We had a good practice session yesterday and I batted really well. Today I looked to time the ball. We thought that we could easily score 180 but, in the last over, Jadeja batted really well, against (Dale) Steyn, and we got 222."

"I'm not disappointment (about missing a hundred). We won the game that's important. I'm hitting the ball well and that's more important than a hundred. We have good coaching staff, we all believe in them and they gave us a good platform."

Dhoni said that he was happy with his side's batting-performance. "We batted really well. Vijay and Hussey gave us a good start and Raina batted well to the end. He was unlucky not to get a hundred," Dhoni said.

Rajasthan's medium-pacer Kevin Cooper produced a match-winning spell of 3 for 23 to help his side pip Punjab by a massive eight-wicket margin on Thursday.

Punjab stuttered at the start and lost opener Mandeep Singh off the third delivery of the match. But captain Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh kept Rajasthan's bowlers at bay.

Gilchrist, who had reinstated himself in the side after three matches, cut loose in the fourth over and smashed Sreesanth for consecutive fours. Two overs later he clobbered James Faulkner for two boundaries.

Marsh at the other end followed Gilchrist's cue and freed his arms regularly. They put on a 102-run stand for the second wicket. It took a disciplined bowling effort from Cooper to undo the partnership.

Cooper's first victim was Gilchrist who had batted securely for 42 from 32. Punjab's captain offered Cooper a return catch off an offcutter. Cooper then got both Marsh and David Miller in the 19th over as both men attempted to heave across the line.

Cooper's neat spell ensured that Punjab, who were looking good at 100 for one in the 14th over, buckled to just 145 in 20.

Rajasthan lost just two wickets in the chase and Ajinkya Rahane, with an unbeaten 59, and Sanju Samson, with an unbeaten 47, took them over the finishing line. The win puts Rajasthan in second place in the points table.

"I know I had to come good today as last few games I wasn't bowling well. I just went out there and did my best," Cooper said. "The wicket was slow and suited my bowling. I took the pace off the ball. We bowled well in partnerships and in the last five we tried to take away the boundaries."

Dravid said he was impressed with the quality of cricket his side has played this season. "We've been playing some really good cricket. I'm just happy with the kind of cricket we have played. They got off to a good start but in the far end, we did superb," Dravid said. "We had some good conversations about bowling at the death and we executed well. Jimmy (James Faulkner) and Kevon were superb."