Washington Sundar's (two for 22 & 62 n.o.) gutsy display with both bat and ball enabled defending champion and table-topper Albert Tuti Patriots score a six-wicket win over Karaikudi Kaalai in the India Cements TNPL at the ICL grounds in Shankar Nagar here on Sunday.
It was scorching hot but the heat generated by Albert's boys at the start was even more. And the Kaalai top order, unable to bear the searing pace of Athisayaraj Davidson and the vicious spin of a wily Washington, crumbled like cheap cookies.
The duo scalped two wickets apiece and left Kaalai tottering at 25 for five inside six overs. The Kaalai skipper S. Badrinath must have rued his fate of electing to bat first. But when the chips were down, M. Shajahan (43, 29b, 2x4, 4x6) came to the team's rescue with a sensible knock.
The southpaw from Coimbatore, who has been in fine nick, played smart and safe to compile a 45-run stand with Swaminathan for the sixth wicket. He picked the right deliveries and dispatched them to the ropes and more importantly over it on four occasions.
The going looked good for Kaalai from there but left-arm orthodox spinner R. Aushik Srinivas applied the brakes yet again with a two-wicket haul. But Kaalai still managed to post a respectable total on a track that offered plenty for the slow bowlers.
The Patriots began the run chase on a similar note with opener Kaushik Gandhi falling prey to paceman Sunil Sam. Two more wickets tumbled but Washington, who was dropped by offie Swaminathan of his own bowling at the start, stood his ground to steer the team past the finishing line.
The young man's knock came in just 47 balls and contained two fours and three sixes. He quite deservedly walked away with his second man of the match award.
The scores:
Karaikudi Kaalai 122 for nine in 20 overs (Shajahan 43, Athisayaraj Davidson two for 19, Washington Sundar two for 22, R. Aushik Srinivas two for 27) lost to
Albert Tuti Patriots 126 for four in 18.5 overs (Washington Sundar 62, S.P. Nathan 20).
VEERANS THRASHES WARRIORS
In the second match, a record 125-run stand for the opening wicket between N.S. Chaturved (89, 59b, 8x4, 3x6) and S. Siddharth (60, 40b, 6x4, 2x6) came in handy as VB Thiruvallur Veerans thrashed Ruby Trichy Warriors by 57 runs.
The Warriors had a strong bowling line-up but they failed to contain the duo, who were in a rocking mood from the start. It was also the risk and luck factor that nicely worked in their favour. They did not hesitate to take the aerial route and, added to it they were gifted generously with some dropped catches. It was enough and more for the Veerans to post a total of 182 for five.
The Warriors showed urgency as well with openers Bharath Shankar (33, 33b, 1x4, 2x6) and Baba Indrajith (34, 27b, 6x4) thrashing the bowlers to all parts of the ground and posting the 50 partnership inside seven overs. But once they departed it was a tough climb for the team.
The scores:
VB Thiruvallur Veerans 182 for five in 20 overs (N. S. Chaturved 89, S. Siddharth 60, J. Kousik two for 33) beat
Ruby Trichy Warriors 125 for eight in 20 overs (B. Indrajith 34, Bharath Shankar 33, Malolan Rangarajan two for 23, R. Silambarasan,three for 25, Rahil Shah two for 29).
Comments
SHARE