TNPL 2018: Jagadeesan, Vivek make it a no-contest

Dragons put it across Panthers to register their first win.

Rollicking stand: R. Vivek and N. Jagadeesan ran riot as they guided Dindigul Dragons to an emphatic victory.

TNPL is familiar territory for N. Jagadeesan.

Here he hunts for runs with whiplash flicks, scorching cover-drives and rousing straight hits.

And the big-built R. Vivek frees his arms to send the ball soaring over the ropes. Power, he has in plenty.

It was mayhem in the middle here on Friday night when opener Jagadeesan (68 not out, 42b, 11x4, 1x6) and the ebullient Vivek (70 not out, 33b, 8x4, 3x6) gathered 125 unbeaten runs for the second wicket in only 61 balls.

Riding on the duo’s spectacular shot-making, Dindigul Dragons eased to a nine-wicket win over Siechem Madurai Panthers, still searching for its first win in TNPL, at the India Cements ground.

In a game where catching in the deep, from both sides, left a lot to be desired, Vivek (on 37) was put down by S.P. Nathan at third man off seamer Kiran Akash.

The door, then, was firmly shut on the Madurai side.

Earlier, the left-handed Hari Nishaanth, his batting encompassing grace and timing, made a pleasing 28.

Madurai won the toss on a surface where the odd delivery tended to stop a tad.

Openers K.B. Arun Karthick and D. Rohit upped the tempo. Karthick whipped paceman M. Mohammed for the maximum. Rohit (24) cut seamer Trilok Nag over the point fence.

Arun Karthick continued to impress; an inside-out lofted shot over covers off Mohammed screamed for attention. He eventually fell to R. Ashwin, picked up at deep mid-wicket for 61 (44b, 6x4, 2x6). The India off-spinner, bowling with control, contained and struck.

For Madurai, Shijit Chandran (35, 20b, 3x4, 1x6), now harnessing the pace, now going big over covers, collected useful runs.

M. Abhinav got Thalaivan (26) stumped but the young leg-spinner needs to use his non-bowling arm more in his action to get greater bite off the surface.

The scores: Siechem Madurai Panthers 169 for six in 20 overs (Arun Karthick 61, Thalaivan Sargunan 26, Shijit Chandran 35, R. Ashwin three for 25) lost to Dindigul Dragons 170 for one in 15.2 overs (Hari Nishaanth 28, N. Jagadeesan 68 not out, R. Vivek 70 not out). Player-of-the-match: R. Vivek.