Stirred by the 84-run seventh-wicket stand between Maan K. Bafna (50, 35b, 4x4, 1x6) and S. Ganesh (39, 37b, 5x4), iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans bowled and fielded with inspiration to beat Trichy Grand Cholas by 47 runs and qualify for the playoffs in the eighth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) at the NPR College cricket ground in Natham on Saturday.
Tiruppur has now joined Lyca Kovai Kings, Chepauk Super Gillies, and Dindigul Dragons for the playoffs.
From 67 for six in 7.5 overs, Bafna and Ganesh’s partnership helped Tiruppur get to 169 for eight.
Left-arm seamer T. Natarajan (three for 6), and left-arm spinners S. Ajith Ram (three for 30) and R. Sai Kishore (two for 29) helped Tiruppur bowl out Trichy for 122.
Sai Kishore picked up both his wickets, including big-hitter Sanjay Yadav’s, in the same over. Natarajan and Ajith Ram too claimed two wickets each in the same over.
There were a couple of highlights in Trichy’s chase. Nirmal Kumar hit off-spinner Mohamed Ali for three consecutive sixes to deep midwicket. R. Rajkumar reverse-swept Sai Kishore for a spectacular six to deep third man.
Earlier, skipper Shahrukh Khan (50, 18b, 1x4, 6x6) literally powered Lyca Kovai Kings closer to victory with the fastest fifty (17b) of the season. A tense finish ensued, and Kovai eventually prevailed over SKM Salem Spartans.
Chasing 172, Kovai had, with the help of opener Sujay’s 48 (39b, 5x4, 1x6), played itself into a position where an explosive innings was needed. Shahrukh obliged. His shots came off at the right moments.
With 50 needed off 32, he hit left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas for two consecutive sixes to long off and deep cover.
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With 31 off 22, he bashed Harish Kumar’s slower balls for back-to-back sixes, and moved across to flick over square leg for four to bring the equation down to a safe 15 off 19.
With 13 off 18, he smoked a straight six off Poiyamozhi. But Poiyamozhi conceded only three and claimed three wickets, including Shahrukh’s, in the next four balls as Kovai was left needing four from two overs with two wickets in hand.
Aushik conceded just one run in the 19th over, Yudheeswaran was run out looking for a double on the first ball of the last over, and Jhathavedh Subramanyan played out two balls and got beaten once as it finally came down to two off two with one wicket in hand.
To Kovai’s relief, Jhathavedh managed to take a single and Siddharth edged Sunny Sandhu to third man for four.
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