TNPL 2018: Sargunam, Karthick guide Madurai to 4th win in a row
K. B. Arun Karthick and Thalaivan Sargunam put together a 108-run, second-wicket partnership, scoring half-centuries themselves.
Published : Jul 29, 2018 19:15 IST
Ruby Trichy Warriors’ skipper B. Indrajith must have felt relaxed after his boys put up a fighting 175 for four on board. But it was not enough as Madurai Siechem Panthers raced to a comfortable five-wicket win, its fourth in trot, in the TNPL 2018 match here on Sunday.
And if they could do that pretty easily, it was largely due to a brilliant 108-run second-wicket stand between K.B. Arun Karthick (80, 45b, 5x4, 5x6) and Thalaivan Sargunam (70, 36b, 5x4, 6x6). They played as if they were in a hurry to catch the next flight home. It rained sixes and fours from their blade, and the holiday crowd enjoyed every bit of it.
Earlier, the Warriors, having learnt a few lessons from its earlier match, played with lots of patience on a flat track. It also planned things differently by sending in Mani Bharathy to open with Bharath Shankar.
It sort of paid off as the duo added 59 for the first wicket before Bharath fell to Rahil Shah going for the pull shot. The left-arm orthodox bowler picked up two more in his next two overs. One expected the Warriors to crumble again as it did the other day. But the in-form Suresh Kumar (42 n.o., 26b, 5x4, 1x6) and Vasanth Saravanan (52, 28b 4X4, 3x6) sparkled like never before under the sun to put up a 92-run stand for the fourth wicket to put the team in command.
| The scores Ruby Trichy Warriors 175 for four in 20 overs (Bharath Shankar 29, Mani Bharathy 33, Suresh Kumar 42 n.o., Vasanth Saravanan 52; Rahil Shah three for 27) lost to Siechem Madurai Panthers 176 for five in 18.2 overs (K.B. Arun Karthik 80 n.o., Thalaivan Sargunam 70, Ganapathi Chandrasekar two for 28). |