TNPL 2023: Ajitesh guides Nellai home in thriller with superb ton
Set a challenging target of 182 by Kovai, which was grateful to the in-form B Sai Sudharsan (90 off 52 balls, 7 fours, 4 sixes) and put 181 for six on the board.
G Ajitesh won the ‘Man of the Match’ award
CHENNAI: G Ajitesh smashed a scintillating match-winning century as Nellai Royal Kings edged out Lyca Kovai Kings by four wickets in the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2023 thriller in Coimbatore on Friday.
Set a challenging target of 182 by Kovai, which was grateful to the in-form B Sai Sudharsan (90 off 52 balls, 7 fours, 4 sixes) and put 181 for six on the board, Nellai secured victory off the last ball of the match. Ajitesh (112 off 60 balls, 7 fours, 8 sixes) singlehandedly kept Kovai alive in the chase while M Poiyamozhi (7 not out off 2 balls, 1 six) spectacularly held his nerve in the death to guide Nellai home.
No.3 batter Ajitesh reduced the equation from 61 off 30 balls to seven from three deliveries, but could not stay till the end after he was dismissed via a run-out. The 20-year-old brought up his century with a maximum over long-on off Kiran Akash in the last ball of the penultimate over. With seven runs needed off the final two balls, Poiyamozhi struck a six and then ran a single to spark jubilant scenes on the pitch and in the Nellai dugout.
A lot of credit should be given to ‘Man of the Match’ Ajitesh, who kept going after the Kovai bowlers despite regularly losing partners at the other end.
In the first essay, Sai Sudharsan did not disappoint the crowd and notched up his second consecutive half-century of the TNPL season. Sai Sudharsan was involved in two key partnerships – 66 runs with Suresh Kumar (33 off 24 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) for the second wicket and 68 runs with Ram Arvindh (18) for the third wicket.
During the third-wicket partnership, the southpaw did bulk of the scoring as Ram held one end up but struck at less than a run-a-ball. Sai Sudharsan unfortunately missed out on a well-deserved century when he was run-out in the 19th over while trying to take a quick single. Medium pacer Poiyamozhi (3/29 off 4 overs) was the standout bowler for Nellai, accounting for Suresh, Ram and Kovai skipper Shahrukh Khan (17).
BRIEF SCORES: Lyca Kovai Kings 181/6 in 20 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 90, M Poiyamozhi 3/29) lost to Nellai Royal Kings 182/6 in 20 overs (G Ajitesh 112)
