MATCH REPORT
Follow UsChepauk Super Gillies saw off Trichy Grand Cholas in a thrilling encounter on Monday to win by 14 runs at the India Cements Ground in Tirunelveli.
Opting to bowl first, Trichy Grand Cholas found themselves 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.
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.
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, Daryl 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, Abhishek Tanwar took on Athisayaraj Davidson to add 25 runs in the final over, guiding the former champions to 198/4 in their 20 overs.
Trichy Grand Cholas took an aggressive approach right from the start of their innings, led by the youngster Waseem Ahmed. Despite losing three key top-order batters early on, they added 62 runs. Waseem Ahmed's brisk innings of 48 runs off 38 balls ended in the 14th over.
The young opener's strong start provided the foundation for Jafar Jamal and R Rajkumar to launch an aggressive assault right from the beginning of their partnership. As the required run rate approached 14 runs per over, the duo stepped up, smashing 22 runs off Aswin Crist and another 14 runs off Rahil Shah in succession. This aggressive batting display swung the momentum firmly back in Trichy Grand Cholas' favour, keeping them in contention.
In the final five overs, the team needed 57 runs with five wickets in hand. G. Periyasamy maintained his composure to dismiss R Rajkumar at a crucial moment, tipping the scales in favour of Chepauk.
Subsequently, Trichy decided to retire Vinod, who was struggling with his timing against the bowling attack. Periyasamy finished with 1/24 in his four overs, setting up the victory for Chepauk. In the end, the bowlers held their nerves to take Chepauk over the line despite Jafar Jamal's brisk 52* off 34 balls.
After starting the season with two consecutive losses, Chepauk Super Gillies have now clinched four matches in a row. This impressive turnaround has elevated the former champions to the second spot in the standings. Meanwhile, Trichy has dropped one position and now occupies the third spot in the standings.
Reflecting on the loss, Trichy's captain Antony Dhas said: This was a good score, but with our batting depth, we felt we could have chased it down. Perhaps, if we had restricted them to 20-30 runs less. Outstanding effort from Jafar Jamal and R Rajkumar. It was a good game, and I'm pleased with the team's performance despite the result.
Abhishek Tanwar, the player of the match, said: "I'm feeling great, everything is falling into place. The team encourages me to play my natural game and supports me well. This game is a good example for a perfect T20 match.
Talking about the win, Baba Aparajith, said: I'm delighted with the win, especially after a tough start with two early losses. In the past four matches, we've really stepped up in critical moments to secure these victories.
After the win, Chepauk's R Sathish said: Our batters performed exceptionally well today to set up a huge total, which was crucial for our victory.
Brief scores: CSG 198/4 in 20 overs (D Santhosh 56; R Rajkumar 2/23) beat TGC 184/7 in 20 overs (Jafar Jamal 52*; G Periyaswamy 1/24) by 14 runs
Player of the Match: Abhishek Tanwar
