Malinga, Pollard power Mumbai to top of IPL

Reuters) - Kieron Pollard provided a late flourish with the bat and Lasith Malinga picked up three wickets as table-toppers Mumbai Indians beat bottom-placed Pune Warriors by 21 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday.

West Indian Pollard (28) smashed paceman Alfonso Thomas for 27 runs in the penultimate over after Pune leg-spinner Rahul Sharma stifled the Mumbai side with two wickets for just seven runs in four overs.

Tirumalasetti Suman hit 36 off just 16 balls as Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai finished on 160 for seven wickets.

Pune lost Jesse Ryder and Graeme Smith early and struggled for momentum throughout their innings despite a 47-ball 59 from opener Manish Pandey.

Sri Lankan Malinga then picked up three wickets, including that of Pandey and Yuvraj Singh (20), as IPL debutants Pune slumped to their seventh successive defeat.

In Chennai, Mike Hussey and Suresh Raina hit half-centuries to help champions Chennai Super Kings to an easy eight wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals.

Australian Hussey (79 not out) and Raina (61) added 137 for the second wicket as Chennai chased down Rajasthan’s 147 for six with eight balls to spare.

Rajasthan got off to a solid start after opting to bat first with a 86-run opening stand between former India captain Rahul Dravid (66) and Australian Shane Watson (32). The Rajasthan side, who lost their fourth match in 10 outings, lost momentum after the dismissal of Watson in the 11th over.