TNPL: Tuti Patriots enters semis after 33-run win over Madurai Super Giants

Albert Tuti Patriots restricted Madurai Super Giants to 134/8 to register a 33-run victory and qualify for the semifinals of the Tamil Nadu Premier League. Madurai ended its campaign winless.

Opener Kaushik Gandhi continued where he had left off in the previous match with a 55-ball 86, smashing eight fours and three sixes.

Albert Tuti Patriots registered a comfortable 33-run victory over Madurai Super Giants and earned a place in the semifinals of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, here on Tuesday. Madurai Super Giants ended its campaign in the inaugural season of the league winless, losing all of its seven matches.

Super Giants had a dismal start to its chase of 168 runs. Patriots' Ganesh Moorthi sent Arun Karthik back in the first over, but it was Aushik Srinivas who ruffled Giants' batting. He bowled two maiden overs and took one wicket inside the first five overs of Madurai's innings.

P.S. Chandran and Maan Bafna steadied the innings for Super Giants, adding 51 runs for the second wicket, before Aswin Crist bowled Chandran in the 11th over. In the next over, Crist ran out Bafna to increase Tuti Patriots’ chances of making it to the semifinals. To qualify, Patriots had to ensure Giants didn't score more than 136 runs.

Suresh Kumar and Francis Rokins then took the responsibility of steering Super Giants ahead. However, a smart deploy by Lakshmipathy Balaji saw Moorthi removing Suresh Kumar to ease the pressure off Tuti Patriots.

Crist exploited further by castling C. Madhu, who saw his middle stump flying off. It left Tuti Patriots needing only three wickets to win in the last three overs.

Francis Rokins tried to spoil Tuti Patriots' chances of making it to the semifinal, but Patriots' disciplined bowling was no match for the Madurai side.

Earlier, Tuti Patriots won the toss and elected to bat. Opener Kaushik Gandhi continued where he had left off in the previous match with a 55-ball 86, smashing eight fours and three sixes.

Gandhi formed useful partnerships with Maruti Raghav and Washington Sundar and rightly took away the Man of the Match award. However, it was poor bowling and fielding which costed Madurai Super Giants the match.

M. Raja picked up quick three wickets towards the end of Tuti Patriots’ innings to contain the team to 167.

Brief scores:

Albert Tuti Patriots 167/6 (Kaushik Gandhi 86, Maruthi Raghav 22, Washington Sundar 34; M. Raja 3/41) bt Madurai Super Giants 134/8 (P. S. Chandran 33, Maan Bafna 18, Francis Rokins 28; Ganes Moorthi 2/15, Aushik Srinivas 2/23, Aswin Crist 2/31)