TNPL 2018: Bittersweet win for Warriors

Ruby Trichy Warriors had to achieve the target of 137 in 7.5 overs to stake a claim for a playoff berth.

K. Bharat Shankar set the platform with a quickfire 69 off just 42 balls to help Ruby Trichy Warriors post its fourth win of the season against VB Kanchi Veerans, but it was not enough to take his side into the playoffs. 

Warriors needed to chase the target of 137 in 7.5 overs to improve its net run rate to stake a claim for the playoff berth but it was always going to be a tough task on a slow wicket.

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Electing to bat, Veerans struggled against a disciplined bowling effort the Warriors before P. Francis Rokins played an unbeaten cameo at the end (a 29-ball 43) to take his side to 136.

Veerans’ innings struggled to get going with no partnerships, losing wickets regularly as Warriors spinners Vignesh Kannan, D. T. Chandrasekar and S. Suresh Kumar applied the squeeze in the middle overs.

Every time a batsman looked to build on with a few boundaries, the high dot-ball percentage did the trick in forcing the mistakes.

Veerans played 50 dot balls in its innings that sucked the momentum out of the innings before Rokins’ efforts at the end.

Bharath Shankar teed off in the third over of the innings picking four boundaries off pacer K. Deeban Lingesh. From there on he was in command of the chase with some clean hitting over the infield. B. Indrajith and S. Vasanth Saravanan chipped in with the bat to end Warriors’ campaign on a positive note.

Brief Scores: VB Kanchi Veerans 136 for eight in 20 overs (Francis Rokins 43 n.o., U Vishal 25, Vignesh Kannan two for 25, Sonu Yadav two for 26) lost to Ruby Trichy Warriors 139 for four in 17.4 overs (Bharath Shankar 69, Baba Indrajith 26, C. Shriram two for 20, Aushik Srinivas two for 20)