DADA powers Kolkata to 23-run win

Venugopal Rao's unbeaten 42-ball 71 went in vain as Deccan Chargers slumped to their seventh successive defeat, going down to Kolkata Knight Riders by 23 runs in their Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Opting to bat first, the Knight Riders rode on captain Sourav Ganguly's stroke-filled 91 and David Hussey's late assault to amass 204 for the loss of four wickets in their quota of 20 overs.
In reply, the Chargers led by Rao's blitzkrieg - studded with four boundaries and a half a dozen sixes - could manage 181 for seven.
After their pathetic fielding allowed the Knight Riders to cross the 200-run mark, the Chargers lost wickets at regular intervals while trying to overhaul the massive target.
Openers Adam Gilchrist (24) and Herschelle Gibbs (5) fell to rookie pacer Ashok Dinda, while Umar Gul claimed D Ravi Teja (10).
Ganguly then dealt another blow to the host side by scalping New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris to reduce the Chargers to 63 for 4.
Rohit Sharma and Rao stabilised the innings to add 32 runs for the fifth wicket. But before the pair could take the hosts to the safety zone, Dinda struck again to effect the departure of Rohit (33 off 24 balls, 3x4s, 2x6s).
Ganguly then drew the life out of Chargers' challenge by scripting the dismissal of Sanjay Bangar (9).
However, an unperturbed Rao took the attack to the Knight Riders' camp and plundered the visiting bowlers all over the park.
But Rao ran out of partners and could only witness his side suffer another loss.
Earlier, Ganguly won the toss and decided to bat first but Salman Butt's exit in the first over pegged back the visitors.
Ganguly joined hands with Aakash Chopra (24) and forged a 69-run stand to steady the ship before he and Hussey tore apart the Deccan attack en route to a 102-run stand for the third wicket.
Ganguly's 91 came off 57 balls and was studded with 11 hits to the fence besides five sixes.
Hussey remained unbeaten after a 29-ball knock that included four boundaries, besides three sixes.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla was not out on 14 off just three balls as the Knight Riders went past the 200-run mark.
Playing his second match of the tournament, Butt (4) drove Chaminda Vaas for a four but perished soon edging him behind. The hosts, however, had to wait another 10 overs before another wicket fell and it was poor judgment that saw Chopra returning to the hut after being run out.
Ganguly looked good for his maiden Twenty20 century but trying to up the ante, he went for a hook only to see RP Singh take a low catch at fine leg off P Vijaykumar.
Tatenda Taibu (9) lived dangerously and threw his bat at anything and everything before Ravi Teja took a full-blooded drive off RP Singh to cut short his stay.
The win has taken the Knight Riders' points tally to eight from eight matches, while the Deccan Chargers are way down in the table with four points from their nine matches.