Leg-spinner M. Ashwin (3/25) and pacer Ajay Krishna (4/17) helped Siechem Madurai Panthers pull off a heist and beat Chepauk Super Gillies by 12 runs in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match here at the Salem Cricket Foundation ground on Monday.
However, the victory would not have been possible without Washington Sundar’s brilliant rear guard action of an unbeaten 56 (30b, 2x4, 5x6), which helped the Madurai side post a respectable total of 141 for seven after being reduced to 18 for four.
Chasing a modest target, Super Gillies made heavy weather of it after Ajay Krishna scalped three wickets in the 19th over, even as B. Aparajith watched the madness unfold from the other end while batting well on 33.
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CSG openers Santosh Shiv (29) and N. Jagadeesan (35) set the foundation with a cautious 59-run stand in nine overs before Ashwin brought his side back by removing the openers.
With 15 needed off the last over, Gurjapneet removed Aparajith off the first ball and sealed the deal for the Panthers.
Earlier, Super Gillies spinners Aparajith, Rahil Shah and M. Silambaramsan ran through the top-order and had the Panthers in big trouble at 79 for seven.
Washington found an able ally in P. Saravanan and stitched an unbroken 52-run stand for the eighth wicket to take the Panthers to a decent total.
The stylish left-hander showed his full range with well-timed shots through the off-side and some clean strikes over the fence. He started by sweeping B. Rocky over midwicket for consecutive sixes. In the final over, Washington refused a single and finished the innings in style with two sixes off the last two balls of the innings off pacer R. Rohit while bringing up his half-century too. Those 12 runs proved, in the end, proved to be the difference.
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