Nellai pips Madurai to enter Qualifier 2
Nellai thus set up a meeting with Dindigul Dragons at the India Cements Company Ground in Tirunelveli on Monday. Invited to bat first in the knockout fixture on Saturday, Royal Kings posted a mammoth 211 for six, thanks to match-influencing half-centuries from Nidhish Rajagopal (76 off 50 balls, 2 fours, 6 sixes) and G Ajitesh (50 off 30 balls, 7 fours, 1 six).
CHENNAI: Nellai Royal Kings progressed to the Tamil Nadu Premier League Qualifier 2 after defeating Siechem Madurai Panthers by four runs in the thrilling Eliminator match at the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground in Salem on Saturday.
Nellai thus set up a meeting with Dindigul Dragons at the India Cements Company Ground in Tirunelveli on Monday. Invited to bat first in the knockout fixture on Saturday, Royal Kings posted a mammoth 211 for six, thanks to match-influencing half-centuries from Nidhish Rajagopal (76 off 50 balls, 2 fours, 6 sixes) and G Ajitesh (50 off 30 balls, 7 fours, 1 six).
Madurai could manage only 207 for four in the chase, despite a fine knock from V Aaditya (73 off 50 balls, 6 fours, 2 sixes), and bowed out of the tournament. In the first essay, Nellai was off to a bad start as opener L Suryapprakash was dismissed for a duck by left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh (2/42). Skipper KB Arun Karthick (18) too did not last long as Royal Kings stood at 33 for two in the fourth over.
Nidhish was then involved in three key partnerships – he added 51 runs with Ajitesh for the third wicket, accumulated 78 runs with Sonu Yadav (17) for the fourth wicket and stitched 45 runs with Rithik Easwaran (29 off 10 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes) for the fifth wicket. In the second essay, Aaditya and Swapnil Singh (48 off 30 balls, 1 four, 4 sixes) kept Madurai in the hunt with a 98-run stand for the third wicket.
This was after opening batter S Lokeshwar smashed a 26-ball 40, a knock that included three maximums and as many fours. Needing 56 runs off the last five overs and 19 runs off the final over, Panthers missed out on a Qualifier 2 spot by a whisker. After Swapnil was removed by left-arm spinner S Mohan Prasath (1/43) in the fourth ball of the last over, P Saravanan (7 not out) smashed a six off his first ball to reduce the equation to six needed off one. But, the southpaw could not replicate it in the final ball of the match as Mohan guided Nellai home.
BRIEF SCORES: Eliminator: Nellai Royal Kings 211/6 in 20 overs (Nidhish Rajagopal 76, G Ajitesh 50, Gurjapneet Singh 2/42) bt Siechem Madurai Panthers 207/4 in 20 overs (V Aaditya 73, Swapnil Singh 48, S Lokeshwar 40)
