Old warhorses R. Ashwin and Varun Chakaravarthy did the star turns for Dindigul Dragons to pip SKM Salem Spartans by two wickets in their Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match on the Chennai Super Kings floor right here on Sunday.
While Ashwin picked up three for 22, all three wickets off the carrom ball, and blazed a 14-ball 36 (5×4, 2×6), Varun (13 n.o., 5b, 1×4, 1×6) surprisingly nailed the ending act with the bat in a 189-run chase.
As ten runs had been wanted off the final three balls off medium-pacer Poiyamozhi, Varun hit a double, and a no-ball later, smoked a six over long-on off a free hit. With only a single wanted off the final ball and all of the fielders having closed in, he performed a lofted shot to clear the infield for a 4 down the bottom.
Ashwin added 57 runs for the first-wicket stand (24 balls) with Shivam Singh (34). The duo took 25 runs off left-arm spinner Rahil Shah in the second over, with Ashwin scoring 18 of them. He cleared the infield for a 4 to the covers, hit a straight six, reverse-swept for a 4 to deep backward level, and hoisted a long-on 4.
Hunny Saini (35) and Impact Player Vimal Khumar (24), who got here collectively on 111 for 5 in the twelfth over, weighed in with an important 51-run sixth-wicket union (34 balls).
For Spartans, left-hander Nidhish S. Rajagopal (74, 47b, 6×4, 4×6) struck his eighth TNPL fifty and engaged in an 80-run fifth-wicket partnership with R. Vivek (35). He introduced up his fifty with a slog sweep for a six to deep midwicket off Varun.
Sathvik shines
In the second match of the day, openerĀ Amith SathvikĀ smashed an unbeaten 68 (36b, 7×4, 4×6) asĀ
IdreamĀ TiruppurĀ TamizhansĀ coasted to a nine-wicket win overĀ Siechem Madurai Panthers.
Tamizhansā collective bowling effort got here to the fore as Panthers was bowled out for 120. SkipperĀ
Sai KishoreĀ was the decide of the bowlers with two for 11.
Chasing 121,Ā SathvikĀ arrange the win with a 91-run first-wicket stand (47 balls) with left-handerĀ Tushar
RahejaĀ (40, 19b, 3×4, 4×6).
The scores: SKM Salem Spartans 188/7 in 20 overs (Nidhish S. Rajagopal 74, R. Vivek 35, R. Ashwin 3/22) misplaced to Dindigul Dragons 192/8 in 20 overs (R. Ashwin 36, Shivam Singh 34, Hunny Saini 35, M. Mohammed 2/29, M. Poiyamozhi 2/35). Toss: Dragons.
Siechem Madurai Panthers 120 in 20 overs (C. Sarath Kumar 31, R. Silambarasan 2/33, Sai Kishore 2/11) misplaced to Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans 121/1 in 10.1 overs (Amith Sathvik 68 n.o., Tushar Raheja 40). Toss: Tamizhans.
