Cricket

Shivam Singh's whirlwind century (106 not out off 57 balls) propelled Dindigul Dragons to a commanding 30-run victory over Siechem Madurai Panthers in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). The triumph secured Dragons' berth in the playoffs, while Panthers' hopes were dashed.Singh's innings was a masterclass in power-hitting, particularly against the spinners. Seven of his 10 sixes came off the tweakers. He began cautiously, but a miscued slog sweep off M. Ashwin in the ninth over seemed to ignite his aggression.Undeterred, Singh launched the next delivery for a maximum over deep mid-wicket. From there, his innings exploded like a rocket. He hooked Ajay Krishnan for a six over deep fine-leg, followed by a gorgeous inside-out shot for another maximum over deep cover.In the 15th over, Singh unleashed a barrage of three consecutive sixes off V.S. Karthick Manikandan, two over deep midwicket and one behind deep square-leg. His fifty came off just 29 balls, a testament to his blistering pace.In the chase, only S. Lokeshwar threatened Dragons with a 37-ball 55 (3x4, 4x6). However, the Panthers' batting lineup failed to keep up with the required run rate, falling short by 30 runs.

In the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL-8), IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans secured their first victory by defeating Siechem Madurai Panthers by four wickets at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground on Saturday.Chasing a modest target of 157, Tiruppur's openers fell cheaply, but B. Anirudh Sitaram (52) and Amit Sathvik (23) steadied the innings with a 51-run partnership. Anirudh, who came in as the Impact Player, played aggressively, hitting boundaries and a six to put pressure on the opposition.In the middle overs, leg-spinner M. Ashwin (4/21) kept the Panthers in the hunt with regular breakthroughs. However, S. Mohamed Ali (33*) showed composure and guided his side home with an unbeaten 33 off 27 balls.Earlier, U. Sasidev's cameo (41) helped the Panthers post a fighting total of 156/9. Sasidev used the sweep shot effectively against the spinners and played innovative shots against the pacers to give the innings a late flourish.In the second match of the day, Lyca Kovai Kings registered a commanding nine-wicket victory over Nellai Royal Kings. Local lads B. Sachin (76*) and J. Suresh Kumar (63*) shared an unbeaten 144-run partnership for the second wicket to chase down the target of 168 with ease.Nellai Royal Kings, put in to bat, made 167/7 thanks to knocks from K.B. Arun Karthick (47) and R. Sonu Yadav (43*). However, they lost wickets in a cluster in the middle overs, slumping from 102/2 to 119/6, and ended up with a below-par score.