Super Giants cut to size by Super Gillies

The holiday crowd at the NPR College Ground got more entertainment than they could bargain for as the two Super Gillies batsmen went on a rampage to score 178/5 in 20 overs, with 74 coming in the last four, and in reply the Giants could only manage 123/9, losing by 55 runs. Gillies’ fourth win in six matches took them closer to a spot in the knock-out stage.

Gillies were off to a slow start scoring only singles and twos in the first couple of overs and huffed and puffed to their lowest power-play score in the league at 37/2.

Vasanth Saravanan and Thalaivan then added 65 in 49 balls for the third wicket to propel the Gillies’ assault. Once Vasanth (33 in 28 balls) departed top-edging Vignesh Ganapathy to M Raja, Gillies were precariously placed at 87/3 in the 12th over.

Sathish joined Thalaivan and the duo meant business straight away. Thalaivan wasn’t afraid to use his feet to spinner Maan Bafna to cart him over his head twice, while Sathish took speedster M Raja to the cleaners. The skipper heaved over mid-wicket and elegantly drove through the covers as they brought their 50 partnership in 31 balls.

Vignesh removed Thalaivan in the penultimate over, however by then the damage was done as both the batsman put on 71 in 38 balls.

Sathish got to his 50 in 24 balls, in the 20th over, with scintillating sixes over mid-wicket and square leg as Chepauk milked 74 runs in the last 24 balls to finish at 178.

Facing an enormous task at almost 9-an-over, the onus was on KB Arun Karthik to bail the Super Giants out of troubled waters.

The Chepauk bowlers did well to be on target and choked the Giants with an immaculate length and picked up wickets at regular intervals to peg Madurai’s thought of an assault.

Arun Karthik waged a lone battle for his 34 and after he was dismissed, the inevitable was only delayed for the Giants.