Openers’ day out: Lokeshwar and Arun Karthik’s knocks proved crucial for their respective teams.
| Photo Credit: G. Karthikeyan
Boosted by Lokeshwar’s opening salvo and J. Kousik’s back-end blows, Siechem Madurai Panthers got to 191 for four and restricted Chepauk Super Gillies to 182 for eight to post a nine-run victory in the eighth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) at the N.P.R. College cricket ground here on Sunday.
With this loss, the Chepauk side squandered its chance to finish second on the points table and play the qualifier.
Lokeshwar (55, 40b, 2×4, 5×6) is a pocket-knife who makes the opposition bleed runs in the first six overs. The highlight of his PowerPlay batting on Sunday was his 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 maximum behind square on the leg side, cut for a four behind square on the off, 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 on the third ball of the match.
Kousik (43 n.o., 24b, 3×4, 2×6) converted two attempted-yorker-turned-full-tosses into two sixes in the penultimate over.
Arun Karthick of Nellai Royal kings scored 45 runs against Dindigul dragons at a TNPL match held at Natham in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, on July 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
G. Karthikeyan
During the chase, Pradosh Ranjan Paul (52, 37b, 1×4, 4×6) 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!
He was involved in a 78-run third-wicket stand with opener and left-hander D. Santhosh Kumar (48, 36b, 3×4, 3×6).
In the second match of the day, Shivam Singh’s 59-ball 70 (4×4, 5×6) helped him top the Orange Cap leaderboard and Dindigul Dragons post 136.
During the chase, K.B. Arun Karthick (45, 30b, 3×4, 3×6) and skipper G. Ajitesh (43 n.o., 39b, 5×4) were 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, the Dindigul spinners pegged Nellai back.
Two wickets fell in three balls — Arun Karthick was out leg before 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 leg before 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 claimed 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.
The scores:
Siechem Madurai Panthers 191/4 in 20 overs (S. Lokeshwar 55, Hari Nishaanth 37, J. Kousik 43 n.o.) bt Chepauk Super Gillies 182/8 in 20 overs (D. Santhosh Kumar 48, Pradosh Ranjan Paul 52, Karthick Manikandan 3/23).
Dindigul Dragons 136 in 19.4 overs (Shivam Singh 70) lost to Nellai Royal Kings 138/6 in 17.5 overs (Arun Karthick 45, G. Ajitesh 43 n.o.).
