TNPL 2019: Alexandar five-for secures first win for Chepauk Super Gillies
Chasing 149 for victory, Ruby Trichy Warriors was restricted to 107, with left-arm orthodox spinner R. Alexandar taking 5 for nine.
Published : Jul 23, 2019 23:37 IST
R. Alexandar (five for 9) bowled a deadly spell as Chepauk Super Gillies coasted to a comfortable 41-run win over Ruby Trichy Warriors in the Sankar Cement TNPL league at the ICL grounds here on Tuesday.
The spinner from Ramanathapuram brought in the first five-for of the season. Incidentally, it also turned out to be the best in all editions of the TNPL so far.
Earlier, the Warriors won the toss and quickly chose to field. It seemed a good decision at the start as it removed Gillies opener Kaushik Gandhi in the third over with the scorecard reading eight. He would have well gone in the first over had Aditya Barooah not slipped a 'lolly in the air' at point off pacer L. Vignesh. But Kaushik failed to cash in on the chance and perished in a similar style to the same bowler.
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In walked a confident-looking K.H. Gopinath (37, 25b, 4x4, 2x6). He did not wish to wait and, to true to his team’s favourite catchphrase 'Pattaiya Kelappu' belted boundaries and even smashed a couple over the ropes to bring about the fifty partnership, in quick time, for the second wicket with Ganga Sridhar Raju.
However, the duo did not last long. K. Vignesh and Sai Kishore, the left-arm spinners, picked them both in the space of five balls. It looked a difficult climb from there for the Gillies but, S. Harish Kumar had other ideas. He knocked a quickfire 39 (23b, 1x4, 4x6) and even weaved a vital 56-run stand in just 37 balls with M. Ashwin to see the team post a respectable 148 for six. It was pacer P. Saravana Kumar who had to bear the brunt for bowling loose to Harish in his second spell that went for 21 runs.
Gillies was quite pleased with the score and it must have been all the more happy as India star Murali Vijay, who did the bulk of the scoring in the opener, did not figure in the line-up for reasons best known.
His absence was clearly felt as the Warriors crumbled like cookies to Alexandar, who disguised his deliveries well to rattle the top order. His mates did the rest.
The scores Chepauk Super Gillies 148 for six in 20 overs (Ganga Sridhar Raju 26, K.H. Gopinath 37, Harish Kumar 39, Saravana Kumar two for 28) bt Ruby Trichy Warriors 107 for nine in 20 overs (Aditya Barooah 29, R. Alexandar five for 9) |