Balaji bajjis Punjab with a fiver....

What an inspiring spell of bowling form the local lad of the Chennai super kings. Laxmipati Balaji performed the first hat-trick of the Indian Premier League to help Chennai Super Kings make a double for the season by beating them by 18 runs. Balaji had a fiver, including a hat-trick in the death over of the match, and gave away just 24 runs in his four overs to stamp the authority of the CSK.

Earlier Yuvraj won the toss and decided to chase, His decision was proving to be apt when Sreeshanth promptly removed both the opener in his first two overs. But the Chennai team piled up a competitive 181 for four, thanks to the scintillating and responsible knock by Badrinath and Mahi.

Mahi especially was in a devastating mood and gave his own team man Chawla a taste of the Chennai heat when he carted him for 2 sixes in an over. With Chawla going for plenty, Yuvraj went back to his strike bowler Irfan Pathan but he was taken to the cleaners by Badri when pulled him of for 2 more sixes in an over. But again an inspiring spell from Sreeshanth and Hopes restored the hope for the visiting Kings with the last 5 overs yielding only 37 runs, With Chennai finishing with 181.

In response to the super king’s total, the compatriot kings threatened to run away with the game when Hopes started off from where he left in their home game with 6 over third man and boundary through the covers. In the next over crowd favorite Albie Morkel fortunately got rid of Hopes when edged to Dhoni. In the next over Gony removed Goel.

From then on it was Balaji show altogether. He provided crucial breakthroughs early with Sarwan and Marsh in one over and then got his hat-trick in the last over, in which the visitors required 27 runs for the victory.

Left hander Marsh hit a quick fire half-century but that was not enough to earn a victory for his team. Marsh's innings came off just 38-balls with three boundaries and 4 sixes including a towering one, which landed on the roof of the stadium, off Murali.

Once Marsh was gone it was down to he captain to get the Punjab through. But more disaster was waiting for the Punjab team as skipper Yuvraj too started his walk back to pavilion when he found Stephen Fleming in the point off Amarnath.

The Punjab Kings lost three wickets in space of seven deliveries and that wrote the fate of the Punjab team. Irfan and Chawla hit some lusty blows towards the end but that just helped in reducing the defeat margin.

In the last over Balaji deservedly took his hat trick by removing Pathan, Chawla and VRV in successive deliveries for which he was duly rewarded the Man of the Match as expected made him emotional as he was coming back after 2 years in the international scene from a career threatening injury.