TNPL: Ruby Trichy Warriors wins a thriller

Nidhish, Adithya help team trump Chepauk Super Gillies in Qualifier-1. Trichy Warriors is in the final. Holder Super Gillies will receive another opportunity in Qualifier 2.

Adithya Ganesh (66 not out, 45b, 5x4, 2x6) steered the Warriors home.

Left was just right at the MAC Stadium in TNPL’s Qualifier-1 on Tuesday.

Left-handers Nidhish Rajagopal (55, 45b, 2x4, 3x6) and Adithya Ganesh (66 not out, 45b, 5x4, 2x6), coming together at a worrying 44 for three, took Ruby Trichy Warriors, chasing 154, to the doorstep of victory over Chepauk Super Gillies.

And with three needed off the last two, Adithya smoked left-arm spinner M. Siddharth over mid-wicket for a game-finishing six.

Underdog Trichy Warriors is in the final. Holder Super Gillies will receive another opportunity in Qualifier 2.

S. Radhakrishnan, who had revived Super Gillies’ hopes with a 54-ball unbeaten 82 (7x4, 3x6) earlier in the night, scored a direct hit from covers, ending the 93-run fourth-wicket stand.

 

Six were required for the last over, and Siddharth castled Antony Dhas with his first delivery, another impressive arm-ball. Then, Adithya closed out the game.

The pull shot is Nidhish’s strength, and he pulled them out for two sixes off paceman Rahul Dev. In an important face-off, Nidhish skipped down and lofted left-arm spinner Sai Kishore over long-on for a six.

Like Nidhish, Adithya drove well through the off-side, between mid-off and covers. He also harnessed the pace on the ball well. And he held his nerve at the death to launch the killer blow.

 

Radhakrishnan delights

Super Gillies innings was built around Radhakrishnan’s unbeaten effort. The little batsman is light on his feet, times the ball well and is organised and compact and is balanced in both offence and defence. The ball hit the sweet spot of the bat and travelled through the gaps.

His best moments came when he launched against rampant seamer Saravana Kumar with a pull and a lofted stroke over covers for sixes. Radhakrishnan strung together half-century partnerships with U. Sasidev (23) and the heavy-hitting R. Sathish (29 not out off 22) after the side had been jolted early.

The impressive Saravana Kumar rocked Super Gillies at the start. He castled Kaushik Gandhi with a delivery that darted in. N. Jagadeesan was done in by a delivery that moved away slightly from him. These blows put the Warriors on course.