TNPL 2018: Suresh Kumar gives Trichy thrilling win over Dindigul

Needing 19 runs in the last over, Suresh Kumar hit Mohammed for sixes off consecutive balls to finish the match with one ball to spare. Dindigul Dragons made 172 for eight and then Ruby Trichy Warriors replied with 175 for six.

Chasing 173, Trichy Warriors started off well as Bharaht Shankar hit India spinner R Ashwin for a six and a four in the first over which yielded 12 runs.

But Dindigul struck immediately in the third over as Mohammed dismissed captain Indrajith, who missed a ball that came in slightly from the off-stump to be bowled. 

However, Bharath Shankar took the attack to the opposition taking 14 runs off Trilok’s first over. Trichy Warriors posted its 50 in the sixth over.

When Trilok came back, Bharath hit him for six as Trichy Warriors was there at the asking rate.  But Trilok had his man in his third over caught by Ashwin. Bharath Shankar tried to pull a slower, short of length delivery and skied towards mid-wicket, Ashwin went underneath the ball and took it calmly. Bharath Shankar made 39 with four fours and two sixes.

Bharath Shankar left at 75 and Ruby Trichy Warriors lost four wickets for 12 runs as Ashwin, Adithya Arun and Mohan Abhinav took a wicket each. From there, Trichy fought its way back through Sonu Yadav (30) and Suresh Kumar (28), who added 60 runs off 31 balls for the sixth wicket. 

Earlier, R Ashwin hit a 28-ball 42 as Dindigul Dragons ran up 172 for eight in its 20 overs. Dindigul looked set for a bigger total when it maintained a 10-run per over rate initially,but the Ruby Trichy bowlers did well to take wickets at regular intervals after nine overs.

After Dindigul decided to bat first, N Jagadeesan fell to left-arm spinner K Vignesh in the third over. However, the young left-handed bat Hari Nishant mixed aggression with caution and raced to 41 off 27 balls with five fours and a six. At the other end, Ramalingam Rohit was also equally aggressive as the second wicket stand prospered to 69. Left-arm spinner Lakshmi Narayanan broke the partnership 68 in the 10th over when he had Nishant playing across to fall lbw.

Rohit used his long handle to hit three sixes and three fours in his 30-ball 46 to take Dindigul past the 100-mark. He soon fell to another left-arm spinner M Sanjay who saw Rohit giving the charge and fired one fuller, wide outside the off-stump.

Keeper Mani Bharathi did well to collect the ball and whip off the bails. It was a good comeback for Sanjay who had been hit for as six by Rohit in th same over.

Lakshmi Narayanan soon dismissed Balchander Anirudh with a fine caught and bowled as Ruby Warriors pulled things back somewhat. However, Ashwin played sensibly and found the gaps intelligently to steer his team to a decent score.