Chepauk Super Gillies scored a thrilling six-run win over table-topper Dindigul Dragons and snapped the latter’s four-match winning streak in the India Cements Tamil Nadu Premier League at NPR CET grounds at Natham on Thursday.
Dragons was bolstered by the presence of star off-spinner R. Ashwin in the match, who also captained the side.
Chasing 173, Dragons made a steady start with openers N. Jagadeesan (60, 53b, 6x4, 1x6) and V. Ganga Sridhar Raju putting on 53 before the latter was run out by a direct hit from W. Antony Dhas. Ashwin Venkatraman and V. Subramania Siva fell quickly to leave Dragons at 74 for three in 11 overs.
With the asking rate climbing, Jagadeesan and R. Ashwin (49, 23b, 4x4, 4x6) came up with some lusty blows to take the score past 100 in the 15th over. After Jagadeesan was dismissed by R. Sai Kishore, Ashwin was joined by M. Ashwin and they kept Dragons in the hunt. Needing 19 off the final over, Dragons could manage only 12 runs.
Earlier, a 144-run partnership off 95 balls between K.H. Gopinath (76, 53b, 9x4, 1x6) and X. Thalaivan Sargunam (72, 50b, 4x4, 4x6) - the highest for the opening-wicket in the tournament - helped Chepauk Super Gillies score 172 for six.
After managing just two runs off the opening over bowled by Ashwin, Gillies openers scored 20 off the next two bowled by spinners Guru Kedarnath and M.S. Sanjay, with Sargunam scoring bulk of the runs.
Gopinath, who got a reprieve on 16 off Sunny Kumar Singh, joined the party as Gillies raced to 60 for no loss at the end of PowerPlay.
The openers kept the run-rate flowing and brought up their century-stand in the 11th over as Dragons struggled to contain them. Gopinath and Sargunam notched up their half-centuries at a brisk strike-rate. Gopinath got another reprieve on 59 when wicket-keeper Jagadeesan missed an easy run out opportunity.
Just when Gillies looked set for a big score, left-arm spinner Sanjay gave Dragons the much-needed breakthrough when he dismissed Sargunam in the 16th over. He struck thrice in his next over, removing Gopinath, skipper R. Sathish and J. Gowjith Subash, which slowed down Gillies scoring rate considerably. However, Gillies managed 13 runs off the final over to post 172 on the board.
The scores:
Chepauk Super Gillies 172 for six in 20 overs (K.H. Gopinath 76, X. Thalaivan Sargunam 72, M.S. Sanjay four for 21) bt Dindigul Dragons 166 for five in 20 overs (N. Jagadeesan 60, V. Ganga Sridhar Raju 20, R. Ashwin 49, M. Ashwin 22 n.o.).
