Dominant Super Gillies earns second successive win
Set to chase a daunting 213, the Royal Kings could only manage 171 for nine with pacer Abhishek Tanwar taking three for 33
(L-R) K Aashiq; B Aparajith
COIMBATORE: Four-time champion Chepauk Super Gillies came up with a consummate show to earn a resounding 41–run win over Nellai Royal Kings in the ninth edition of TNPL here on Monday. This is the Super Gillies’s second win on the trot and it consolidated its position at the top of the table with 4 points in 2 games. Set to chase a daunting 213, the Royal Kings could only manage 171 for nine with pacer Abhishek Tanwar taking three for 33.
Earlier, asked to bat first, the Super Gillies received an early jolt losing in-form opener Mokit Hariharan for 2 in the first over bowled by Sonu Yadav. The Super Gillies, however, was unfazed by that setback and went on a scoring spree through southpaw K Aashiq and seasoned captain B Aparajith as the duo put on 83 runs for the second wicket.
The 24-year-old Aashiq's innings of 54 (38b) was studded with seven boundaries and a six. Skipper Aparajith who played a crucial role in his side's win in the previous match continued from where he left off with an impactful knock of 41 (29b, 5x4, 2x6). Aparajith was in fluent touch as he hit five fours and two sixes before being dismissed caught at short third man attempting to cut left-arm spinner Sachin Rathi. Once Aparajith got out in the 11th over, Vijay Shankar strode out and made optimum use of his experience to transfer the pressure back on to the bowling outfit.
The 34-year-old struck a few lusty blows in his exhilarating knock of 47 (24b, 2x4, 4x6). Vijay Shankar, who returned to Gillies this season, hammered Rathi for two sixes in a single over. Following the dismissal of N Jagadeesan for 13 (10b, 2x4) in the 17th over, Swapnil Singh clobbered five monstrous sixes to go with two boundaries and finished with 45 (14b). Swapnil hit pacers M Udhaya Kumar for three consecutive sixes and Yudheeswaran for two successive sixes as Gillies put on 78 in the last five overs to achieve the highest total this season. The duo of Vijay Shankar and Swapnil put on 56 off 19 balls.
Brief scores: Chepauk Super Gillies 212/7 in 20 overs (K Aashiq 54, B Aparajith 41, Vijay Shankar 47*, Swapnil Singh 45, V Yudheeswaran 3/37) bt Nellai Royal Kings 171/9 in 20 overs (Arun Karthik 51, MA Khan 48, A Tanwar 3/33)
