Kovai Kings advances to TNPL final

CHENNAI: Joint defending champion Lyca Kovai Kings reached its second consecutive Tamil Nadu Premier League final after it defeated Dindigul Dragons by 30 runs in the first Qualifier at the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground in Salem on Friday. Invited to bat first, Kovai posted a commanding 193 for seven, thanks to No.3 B Sachin’s fluent 70 (46 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes). In the second essay, Dindigul could muster only 163 for nine, despite Sarath Kumar’s (62 off 26 balls, 1 four, 8 sixes) scintillating late surge.

Batting first, Kovai reached a handsome 57 runs in the powerplay, but lost both its openers – Suresh Kumar (26) an S Sujay (12) – in that period. LKK had Sachin and U Mukilesh (44 off 27 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes) to thank as they put on 82 runs for the third-wicket alliance. Sachin brought up his half-century off 36 balls and with a single off experienced left-arm spinner R Aushik Srinivas in the 14th over. Although the Sachin- Mukilesh duo set the base for a final flourish, Kovai could not go as hard as it would have desired.

The main reason for that was DD pacer Suboth Bhati’s (4/37) fine last spell, during which he captured four wickets (two in the 18th over and two in the 20th). In the chase, none of the top-seven Dragons batters could get to the 30- run mark as the Baba Indrajith-led side lost wickets at regular intervals.

Sarath, who walked in at No.8, sent the ball over the fence eight times, effortlessly smashing the Kovai spin trio of skipper Shahrukh Khan, Jhatavedh Subramanyan and Manimaran Siddharth.

BRIEF SCORES: Qualifier 1: Lyca Kovai Kings 193/7 in 20 overs (B Sachin 70, U Mukilesh 44, Suboth Bhati 4/37) bt Dindigul Dragons 163/9 in 20 overs (Sarath Kumar 62, M Mohammed 3/26)