Dominant Super Gillies beats Grand Cholas by 14 runs

TIRUNELVELI: Four-time champion Chepauk Super Gillies earned a 14-run win over Trichy Grand Cholas to occupy second spot in the table with 8 points from six matches. Set to chase a hefty target of 199, the Grand Cholas came up with a spirited effort finishing at 184 for seven. The loss meant the Grand Cholas now sits at third with six points from six games.

Earlier, opting to bowl first, Trichy Grand Cholas found itself under pressure early on as Chepauk’s opening batters dominated right from the outset. Narayan Jagadeesan and Santhosh Kumar began steadily and accelerated as their innings progressed, compiling 105 runs for the first wicket. The youngster Santhosh Kumar notched up his maiden TNPL half-century, with a 38-ball 56, while Jagadeesan scored 51 off 40 deliveries.

R Rajkumar, introduced into the attack later in the innings, provided a breakthrough for Trichy by dismissing Jagadeesan. He followed it up with the crucial wickets of Baba Aparajith and a catch off Vinod to dismiss Santhosh Kumar.

Just when Trichy seemed to regain control, Daryl Ferrario and Pradosh Ranjan Paul counterattacked effectively. Building on the foundation laid by the openers, the duo aggressively seized every opportunity, scoring 50 runs in just 21 deliveries. Their partnership was pivotal in propelling Chepauk Super Gillies beyond the 190-run mark. However, Ferrario’s blistering innings ended after scoring a quickfire 30 off 15 balls.

Meanwhile, Pradosh Ranjan Paul continued his superb batting form, scoring an unbeaten 29 off just 14 balls, while Abhishek Tanwar provided quick support with an unbeaten 26 off 8 deliveries. In the end, Tanwar took on Athisayaraj Davidson to add 25 runs in the final over, guiding the former champion to 198/4.

Brief scores: Chepauk Super Gillies 198/4 in 20 overs (D Santhosh Kumar 56, N Jagadeesan 51) bt Trichy Grand Cholas 184/7 in 20 overs (J Jamal 52*, W Ahmed 48)