MATCH REPORT
Follow UsChepauk Super Gillies defeated IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by 15 runs to win their first match of the TNPL 2024 at Salem Cricket Foundation Ground on July 10 (Wednesday).
After opting to bowl first, IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans removed Santhosh Kumar (8 off 9) and Baba Aparajith (9 off 7) within the powerplay. However, the experienced duo of Narayan Jagadeesan and Pradosh Ranjan Paul steadied the innings with a 53-run stand for the third wicket. The Chepauk Super Gillies wicket-keeper played a crucial role before being dismissed after scoring 36 runs off 26 balls.
IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans relied on their young spinner, Mohamed Ali, to open the bowling alongside Bhuvaneswaran. He justified their faith by dismissing both openers and also took an impressive diving catch off his own bowling to dismiss Daryl S Ferrario to finish with 3/29. Bhuvaneswaran also had an impressive outing, ending with 1/19.
In the middle overs, young Andre Siddarth played a crucial supporting role to Pradosh Ranjan Paul for Chepauk Super Gillies, contributing 23 runs before being dismissed by local boy Natarajan.
Pradosh faced difficulties in timing in the final phase of the innings. However, he recovered well to reach his half-century in 39 balls, finishing with an unbeaten 67(46) and guiding Chepauk Super Gillies to a competitive 157 runs.
The four-time champions, who were searching for their maiden victory of TNPL 2024, made a strong start with the ball, maintaining a tight grip on the IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans in the second innings. Abhishek Tanwar created pressure from one end, while Balu Surya, Daryl S Ferrario, Periyasamy and Aswin Crist dismantled the batting order effectively.
The fielders, notably Rahil S Shah stationed at cover, provided crucial support to the bowlers. The 38-year-old showcased his athleticism and executed a horizontal dive to dismiss Tushar Raheja off Ashwin Crist's over.
Following Vijay Shankar's shoulder injury in the first innings, he could not bat in his usual position and came in at number seven, with the team needing 48 runs from four overs. However, he could only manage 4 runs.
In Vijay Shankar's absence in the top order, the youngster S Ganesh stepped up admirably, playing a crucial role in the innings, scoring 35-ball 61 runs. Despite the regular fall of wickets at the other end, the 24-year-old impact player remained composed and adopted an aggressive approach to keep Tiruppur in the match. However, his effort was not enough to secure victory as IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans fell 15 runs short of the target.
Chepauk Super Gillies deployed six bowlers in today's match, and they all managed to take at least one wicket. Periyasamy was the pick of the bowlers with 2/18 from his four overs.
After losing the match, IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans captain Vijay Shankar said: "I felt like we bowled well. We lost the plot in the batting in this game. Though we had lost both matches, there were a lot of positives to take from. Today, Ganesh did very well to keep us in the chase. I'm having shoulder discomfort even after taking medications. I guess, we will have to wait and see."
The winning captain, Chepauk Super Gillies' captain B Aparajith said: We stuck to the process and we could have done better but winning a game after two losses is a big relief. One thing we must work on is to convert the starts with the bat. Our strength has always been our bowlers. Everyone stepped up today, and our fielders complimented them well."
Brief Scores
Chepauk Super Gillies 157/6 (Pradosh Ranjan Paul 67, Narayan Jagadeesan 36, S Mohammed Ali 3/29) beat IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 142/8 (S Ganesh 61, Tushar Raheja 20; Ganeshan Periyaswamy 2/18) by 15 runs
Player of the Match: Pradosh Ranjan Paul - 67 (46)
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