Lee, Abdulla star in Kolkata victory

KOLKATA, India, May 7 (AFP) - Brett Lee conceded just eight runs in four overs as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-hit Indian Premier League match on Saturday.

Kolkata were 61-2 in 10 overs chasing a modest 115-run target when play was called off due to rain at the Eden Gardens. South African Jacques Kallis was unbeaten on 21 and Manoj Tiwary on 15 not out.

Australian paceman Lee and left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla played key roles in restricting Chennai to a small total on slow pitch despite a fighting 54 from Subramaniam Badrinath.

Abdulla took one wicket in his four overs, giving away 15 runs.

It was Kolkata's seventh win in 11 matches and Chennai's fourth defeat in 10 games of the Twenty20 tournament.

Mumbai and Kolkata now jointly lead the 10-team league table with 14 points, followed by Chennai (12), Bangalore (11), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Delhi (eight), Deccan (six), Punjab (six) and Pune (four).

Chennai earlier failed to post a competitive total after electing to bat despite a half-century from Badrinath, who hit two sixes and three fours in his 41-ball knock before being run out in the last over.

Badrinath put on 65 for the fourth wicket in the last nine overs with South African Albie Morkel, who contributed a run-a-ball 30 not out.

Chennai struggled for runs, scoring 40 in the opening 10 overs. There were just two sixes and six fours in the entire innings.

The first big shot came in the 10th over when Badrinath lofted off-spinner Yusuf Pathan over long-on for a six. He then pulled seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji over mid-wicket for another six.

Chennai Super Kings: 114-4 in 20 overs (S. Badrinath 54, A. Morkel 30 not out).

Kolkata Knight Riders: 61-2 in 10 overs (J. Kallis 21 not out; R. Ashwin 2-12) by 10 runs (D/L method).