Tiruppur Tamizhans and Kovai Kings Triumph in TNPL-8

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.

Tags: #TNPL8, #Cricket, #TamilNadu, #IDreamTiruppurTamizhans, #SiechemMaduraiPanthers