TNPL 2018: T Natarajan holds nerve in incredible one-over eliminator

The fifth match of the 2018 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) turned out to be one of the very best in the tournament's fledgling history. After 40 overs of captivating action, a tie ensued and the game descended to a one-over eliminator. In the end, LYCA Kovai Kings edged past IDream Karaikudi Kaalai by five runs at the Indian Cement Company Ground in Tirunelveli.

Kovai Kings' victory was sealed by the irrepressible Thangarasu Natarajan. Defending 14 runs in the one-over eliminator, the left-arm seamer held his nerve to prevent Anirudha Srikkanth and R Kavin from lifting Karaikudi Kaalai.

Karaikudi skipper Anirudha Srikkanth won the toss and chose to bat first on a dry surface. He led from the front by putting on a 60-run opening partnership with V Aaditya. A flurry of wickets threatened to derail their progress. However, the hard-hitting Maan Bafna smashed a 22-ball 44 to keep the Kovai bowlers at bay.

Bafna's knock, laced with 4 towering sixes, propelled Karaikudi to a healthy total of 162. For the Kings, leg-spinner Prasanth Rajesh picked up three middle-order wickets. It was quite baffling that he was not given an opportunity to complete his quota of four overs. Meanwhile, Natarajan's parsimonious spell of 0/19 allowed captain Abhinav Mukund to stem the haemorrhage of runs.

Kovai began their pursuit strongly as Masood Shahrukh Khan took the opposition attack to the cleaners. The right-handed opener hammered 32 from just 20 balls to help his team plunder 61 runs from the Power Play overs.

Once his opening partner fell, Mukund started to show his class on a deteriorating track. Utilising his extensive experience to significant effect, the southpaw controlled the run-chase by taking minimal risks. Yet, he kept the scoreboard ticking. His 44-ball 59 contained eight fluent boundaries.

Left-arm spinner Bafna dismissed Mukund to bring Karaikudi back into the contest. A patchy partnership between Ashwin Venkataraman and Anthony Das helped Kovai bring the equation to 18 runs from the last two overs.

Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh delivered a crucial penultimate over to keep the match on a knife-edge. With their two set batsmen back into the pavilion, Kovai struggled in the final over. S Swamination picked up two wickets to reduce the equation to two runs from the last ball. The off-spinner could have won the game for Karaikudi. But he missed a run-out chance to take the match to a one-over eliminator.

The Super over began horribly wrong for Karaikudi as Yo Mahesh overstepped at the wrong time. Having started the eliminator by conceding five runs without a legitimate delivery, he could never really recover. A Mukund boundary and some frenetic running left them requiring 15 runs to win the match.

Not surprisingly, Natarajan was tasked with the most important over of the match. Although he was not quite at his best, the left-armer's angle prevented Anirudha and Kavin from finding their timing. Both batsmen missed a slew of full tosses. With a six needed from the last ball, there was no further drama as the seamer delivered a priceless dot ball to eke out a hard-fought victory for Kovai Kings.

Turning Point: Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh's impressive composure in the death overs. Despite beginning his spell by conceding a six, the right-arm seamer picked up a vital wicket and gave away 19 runs from his last two overs. He ensured that S Swaminathan had ten runs to defend off the final over. Were it not for those two bowlers, the game would never have gone to a one-over eliminator.

Brief Scores: IDream Karaikudi Kaalai - 162/7 from 20 overs (Maan Bafna 44, V Aaditya 36, Prasanth Rajesh 3/22, Anthony Das 2/47, Thangarasu Natarajan 0/19); LYCA Kovai Kings - 162/6 from 20 overs (Abhinav Mukund 59, Ashwin Venkataraman 34, Masood Shahrukh Khan 32, Yo Mahesh 2/30, S Swaminathan 2/36)

Result: Match Tied (LYCA Kovai Kings won by 5 runs in the One-over Eliminator)

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