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Hosts strike early

Delhi Daredevils made early inroads into the Deccan Chargers line-up when Ashish Nehra dismissed Adam Gilchrist cheaply.

The Aussie ace did start off well, smashing couple of boundaries initially, but failed to make useful contribution yet again; he miscued a Nehra delivery and was safely pouched by Gautam Gambhir at midwicket.

The in-form T Suman, who joined Monish Mishra in the middle, got off the mark with a chip over mid-off, registering his first boundary.

Mishra, at the other end, opened up and took the attack to Nehra, hitting him out of the park and then for a boundary.

However, an Umesh Yadav delivery breached the Suman's defences to roll him over for just five runs.

Photographs: IPL/Getty Images

Rohit fails this time

Rohit Sharma, another in-form batsman, was the key to Deccan's hopes to post a competitive total. The right-hander, however, failed this time to deliver the goods and was back in the pavilion for just 11 runs.

Mishra, at the other end, ran himself out just when he was looking good. He scored 25.

Symonds holds fort for Chargers

Andrew Symonds was the lone ranger for the Changers with his big hitting. He first took leg-spinner Amit Mishra to the cleaners, hitting him for a six and boundary.

Then, off Tillakaratne Dilshan, he hit another couple of sixes, followed by a six and a boundary off Collingwood, as Chargers scored 27 runs off two overs.

Mishra, however, got his man, when Symonds mistimed a shot to long-off and was caught by Mithun Manhas.

Chargers kept losing wickets at regular intervals and finished at a disappointing 147 for seven.

Delhi lose their way

Chasing a modest 148 for victory, Delhi made life difficult for themselves; they lost David Warner, caught by Rohit Sharma in the slips for just five off Mitchell Marsh.

Chaminda Vaas, in the next over, got rid of Virender Sehwag, brilliantly caught by Rohit again in the slips, for just eight.

Harmeet Singh had Dilshan right in front of the wicket, and when Gautam Gambhir was brilliantly caught at midwicket by Rohit off Ojha, Delhi were tottering at 25 for the loss of four wickets.

Deccan take control

With the early wickets pegging back Delhi's run chase, last match hero Mithun Manhas and Paul Collingwood put their heads down and started to accumulate singles.

Deccan's bowlers too were tight in their line and length, backed by tremendous ground fielding. Collingwood started off in typical fashion, with a punch off a back foot towards midwicket boundary.

But with boundaries drying up, Delhi opted for singles and twos to keep the runs flow going. But the pressure forced Manhas lose concentration; he called for a non-existent run and was easily run out at the other end for 23 runs.

The very next over, Ojha cleaned up Dinesh Karthik, which meant Delhi were reduced to 72 for six, the hopes bow resting on Collingwood's shoulders.

Chargers beat Delhi by 11 runs

Collingwood tried his best to revive the Delhi innings, but didn't get enough support from the other end.

He was also lucky twice, as he was dropped, first by Rohit and then by Symonds.

Collingwood, in the process, brought up his half-century.

A superb last over by Vaas took Chargers into the semi-finals; they beat Delhi by 11 runs.