Boosted by Lokeshwar’s opening salvo and J. Kousik’s back-end blows, Siachem Madurai Panthers got to 191 for four and restricted Chepauk Super Gillies to 182 for eight to post a nine-run win in the eighth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) at the NPR College cricket ground in Natham on Sunday.
With this loss, Chepauk squandered its chance to finish second on the points table and play the qualifier.
Lokeshwar (55, 40b, 2x4, 5x6) is a pocket-knife who makes the opposition bleed runs in the Powerplay. The highlight of his Powerplay batting was him taking down of left-arm spinner Rahil Shah for 22 runs in the third over. He charged and smacked a straight six, paddle-swept for a six behind square on the leg side, cut for a four behind square on the off side, and swept for a six to deep square leg. There was also a helicopter-like flick for a six to deep midwicket off medium-pacer Abhishek Tanwar off the third ball of the match.
Kousik (43 n.o., 24b, 3x4, 2x6) converted two attempted-yorker-turned-full-tosses into two sixes in the penultimate over.
During the chase, Pradosh Ranjan Paul (52, 37b, 1x4, 4x6) who came in at No. 4, helped his team keep up with the asking rate in his own classical way. He stood and delivered an inside-out six off leg-spinner V.S. Karthick Manikandan for the shot of the day: well-timed and graceful, it was peak Pradosh Ranjan Paul!
He engaged in a 78-run third-wicket stand with opener and left-hander D. Santhosh Kumar (48, 36b, 3x4, 3x6) but Chepauk fell short of the target.
In the second match of the day, Shivam Singh’s 59-ball 70 (4x4, 5x6) helped him top the Orange Cap leaderboard and Dindigul Dragons post 136.
During the chase, K.B. Arun Karthick (45, 30b, 3x4, 3x6) and skipper G. Ajitesh (43 n.o., 39b, 5x4) involved in a 51-run second-wicket stand after opener L. Suryapprakash fell early.
Just as it appeared that the pair would comfortably take Nellai Royal Kings home, Dindigul spinners pegged Nellai back with wickets.
Two wickets fell in three balls - Arun Karthick was out lbw to left-arm spinner P. Vignesh, and Nidhish Rajagopal was caught by Vignesh at cover off R. Ashwin (two for 23).
Ashwin had Rithik Easwaran lbw with a quicker delivery that went with the arm. Suddenly, Nellai was reduced to 76 for four.
But Ajitesh stayed and played a steady hand for Nellai to claim a four-wicket win, even as Varun Chakaravarthy picked up two wickets (two for 15).
With this loss, Dindigul too failed to capitalise on its chance to finish second on the points table and play the qualifier.
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