The Chennai Super Kings thrashed the Bangalore Royal Challengers by 92 runs in Monday's Indian Premier League encounter in Port Elizabeth to go top of the table.

The match saw Andrew Flintoff take on England rival Kevin Pietersen - the joint most expensive players in the tournament - and it was the all-rounder who came out on top.

Former Australia star Matthew Hayden scored 65 from 35 balls as Chennai racked up 179 for five after winning the toss - the highest Twenty20 score at St George's Park.

And Bangalore were always struggling in reply, with Pietersen falling for a duck as they slumped to 87 all out.

Hayden and Patel were on the offensive from the start for Chennai and brought up their half-century partnership in less than five overs, then reached the halfway mark at 106 without loss.

Bangalore captain Pietersen called a tactical time-out and the results were instant, the England star bowling Patel for 30 with his first ball.

The next ball saw Hayden's dive beaten by a direct hit from Rahul Dravid as the opener was run out.

The double strike slowed Chennai's momentum and they should have lost a third wicket but Dale Steyn floored a simple chance in the deep off Suresh Raina.

The batsman made him pay with a fifth maximum of the innings but Praveen Kumar claimed another success in the same over when captain MS Dhoni was caught by Rajesh Bishnoi for 16.

That brought Flintoff to the crease and he brought up the 150 with a boundary off Pietersen before Raina was caught by Virat Kohli on the boundary for 28 to give Praveen another wicket.

And Steyn bowled South Africa team-mate Albie Morkel with the final ball, leaving Flintoff unbeaten on 22 from 13 balls.

The Challengers, who in contrast to their opponents had won their first match, got off to the worst possible start as Manpreet Gony bowled Praveen for a duck in the first over.

Home star Jacques Kallis, playing his first IPL match of the season, took the attack to the bowlers but his innings was ended at 24 when he was given lbw to Morkel to leave Bangalore 40 for two.

Their challenge faltered further when Ross Taylor was caught and bowled by Flintoff and captain Pietersen was given lbw to Muttiah Muralitharan for a duck, although there looked to be an inside edge.

The Sri Lankan maestro then had Robin Uthappa stumped as Bangalore slumped to 50 for five.

Kohli and Bishnoi both holed out and the tail failed to hang around, with Flintoff taking the final catch to dismiss Dravid for 20 as the Challengers' challenge ended with nearly five overs remaining.