Super Gillies get second shot to make it to TNPL final

Eighteen-year-old Washington Sundar, who took two wickets for just five runs from three overs and smashed the fastest 50 of TNPL off 15 balls was the star for Tuti Patriots. He hit 22 runs in the first over when Tuti chased down a score of 114 was the star for the winners. Medium-pacer Athisayaraj Davidson took four wickets for 25 runs as Tuti made it to the final for the TNPL for the second time running. 

Sundar, who hit three sixes and a four in Yo Mahesh’s first over, went on to score an unbeaten 73 off 36 balls with eight fours and four sixes He erased the TNPL record that stood in the name of Abhishek Tanwar, who had scored 50 off 19 balls last week. 

After a quick first-wicket stand of 64, Tuti lost Kaushik Gandhi and skipper Dinesh Karthik in quick succession but Sundar and Abhinav Mukund (33 not out off 22 balls) as Tuti reached its target in 12.3 overs. 

Earlier, Chepauk Super Gillies elected to bat with the hope of putting up a good score. But its top-order batsmen got out playing the big shots. Ganesh Moorthi, who had taken four wickets against Super Gillies in the first over in the final last year, was not as successful but kept the pressure right from the first over and Athisayaraj Davidson, bowling from the other end, benefited as Gopinath and Thalaivan tried to attack him and skied catches inside the powerplay. 

From 13 for two, there was a brief recovery for the Gillies as Karthik and Vasanth Saravanan seemed to bring the Super Gillies back on track. However, the fall of Vasanth Saravanan in the eighth over at the score of 50, sparked a slide. Karthik followed quickly when Washington Sundar was introduced in the ninth over. Sundar, who bowled his slow cutters, took another wicket to dismiss the left-handed Sasidev, caught brilliantly at cover by Mukund. 

Sathish batting at No 7 swung a short ball from Athisayaraj to top-edge a catch to wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik and when Antony Dhas fell chasing a wide delivery outside the off-stump after playing a cameo of 27 off 17 balls with two sixes, Tuti had finished yet another good bowling performance backed by good fielding. 

Brief scores: Chepauk Super Gillies 114 in 20 overs (S Karthik 33, Antony Dhas 27, Athisayaraj Davidson 4/25, Washington Sundar 2/14) lost to Albert Tuti Patriots 118/2 in 12.3 overs (Washington Sundar 73*, Abhinav Mukund 33*)