Chepauk Super Gillies register their maiden win in TNPL 2018

It was sixth time lucky for the defending TNPL champions Chepauk Super Gillies as they ended their five-game losing streak in TNPL 2018 by beating VB Kanchi Veerans by 13 runs at the NPR College Ground in Dindigul.

On the back of 76 from wicketkeeper S Karthik and cameos from captain Gopinath and Murugan Ashwin, Super Gillies posted 180/5 in their 20 overs. Although Kanchi Veerans got off to a flyer, their innings faltered after the powerplay. Despite some lusty blows towards the end, they ended up with just 167/9 in their 20 overs.

Chasing 181, Kanchi openers Vishal Vaidhya and S Arun put on a fifty partnership but both players were dismissed in the space of three balls and that changed the game on its head. Although every batsman barring Mokit Hariharan who was dismissed for a duck got to double digits, they never really got going consistently and that cost them dear.

Despite the loss of Ganga Sridhar Raju early, S Karthik ensured that the decision to win the toss and bat first was the right decision early. He raced to his fifty off 27 balls and initially found a good partner in captain Gopinath. They put on 82 for the second wicket and set the ideal platform as they were at 110/1 after 11 overs.

Gopinath was dismissed off the first ball of the 12th over and Sasidev was living a charmed life, having been dropped twice on 0 and 8, but he didn't make the most of it as he was dismissed for 11. The collapse began when Karthik and Sasidev were dismissed in the space of three balls by Baba Aparajith.

From 110/1, they stuttered and stumbled their way to 180/5 on the back of a crucial cameo from M Ashwin and some sloppy fielding from the Kanchi Veerans, who dropped three catches in the final over alone. In the end, that was the difference as Chepauk comfortably got over the line.

Turning point: Dropped catches towards the end of the Chepauk innings, including three in the final over gave the Super Gillies some much-needed momentum.

Brief Scores: Chepauk Super Gillies 180/5 in 20 overs (S Karthik 76, M Ashwin 34*, Baba Aparajith 2/18) beat VK Kanchi Veerans 167/9 (S Arun 27, Vishal Vaidhya 24, MK Sivakumar 2/21, M Ashwin 2/22) by 13 runs.