Published: Jul 28, 2019, 12:47 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 28, 2019, 12:47 PM (IST)
The ever-consistent Narayan Jagadeesan and India star Ravichandran Ashwin excelled with the bat as Dindigul Dragons downed Tuti Patriots by 40 runs to notch their third successive victory of the ongoing Tamil Nadu Twenty20 Premier League (TNPL) at the India Cements Ltd-Sankar Nagar Ground, Tirunelveli on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Jagadeesan scored 53 off 41 balls (1 four, 3 sixes) and Ashwin hit 52 off 28 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) to help DD pile 173-7 in 20 overs. In reply, the DD fast bowlers Rohit Ramalingam (3-16), Jagannathan Kaushik (2-13) and Trilok Nag (2-25) inflicted heavy damage early in the innings to stifle the opposition, that could only muster 133-9 in 20 overs.
Such was the dominance of the DD bowlers that half of the TP side was inside the hut (29-5 in 5.2 overs) before the Powerplay overs ended.
In the second match of Saturday’s double-header, Lyca Kovai Kings batted and bowled with purpose to upstage Ruby Trichy Warriors by 26 runs at the India Cements Limited- Sankar Nagar Ground in Tirunelveli.
It was LKK’s second victory of the season from three matches, putting them in the race for a playoff spot. They had won the first match, against VB Kanchi Veerans, by eight wickets before losing to Tuti Patriots by six runs in a rain-affected match on Thursday.
Batting first after winning the toss, LKK did well to post a fighting 161-6 in 20 overs. Their bowlers led by fast bowler Krishnamoorthy Vignesh (2-12), who accounted for both RTW openers S Aravind (21 off 15 balls) and debutant K Mukunth (2 off 5 balls), did not allow the rival batsmen to settle in and eventually bowled them out for 135 in 19 overs.
Left-arm pacer Thangarasu Natarajan enhanced his reputation as a death-over specialist by claiming four wickets in his second spell (3-0-20-4) after conceding 13 runs in his first over.
