MATCH REPORT
Follow UsTrichy Grand Cholas defeated Siechem Madurai Panthers by 67 runs at Salem Cricket Foundation Ground to win their first match - putting an end to a nine-match losing streak - in Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
Madurai Panthers had an excellent start after winning the toss and bowling first. Pacer Gurjapneet Singh dismissed Arjun Murthy in the opening over of the match, but Trichy Grand Cholas recovered well to post 193/2. Waseem Ahmed and Shyam Sundar formed a crucial partnership early in the innings, laying the groundwork for Sanjay Yadav's explosive innings.
Following Sundar's departure after scoring 30 runs off 28 balls, Waseem combined forces with Sanjay to forge a formidable 126-run partnership for the third wicket.
Waseem maintained the momentum for the Grand Cholas, reaching his maiden TNPL half-century in just 31 deliveries. The wicketkeeper shifted gears in the final phase of the match to finish with an impressive 90* off 55 balls. Sanjay, the most expensive buy of the TNPL 2024 auction, provided valuable support to Waseem. The all-rounder notched up an unbeaten 33-ball 60 runs.
In the bowling department, the pacer Gurjapneet stood out as the top bowler with one for 29, while Alexandar ended with 1/21 in his two overs. Notably, Murugan Ashwin, who played a crucial role in Madurai's victory in the first match, remained without a wicket against Trichy.
Chasing a formidable target of 194, Siechem Madurai Panthers struggled to keep up with the ever-rising required run rate. As the pressure kept mounting, they lost wickets at regular intervals.
The Madurai Panthers captain, Hari Nishaanth, made a promising start to his innings but struggled as his partners departed consistently. He was eventually dismissed after scoring 39 runs off 20 balls. Unfortunately, the team couldn't regain momentum thereafter, resulting in a defeat by 67 runs.
After making an impact with the bat, Sanjay Yadav continued his stellar performance with the ball, finishing with figures of 3/28 in his four overs. R Rajkumar also made an impression by claiming a three-wicket haul, complemented by Athisayaraj Davidson, who took two wickets.
Talking about the loss, Madurai Panthers captain Nishaanth said, "It was not our day. I felt bowlers could have done well. Also, I felt 193 is a par score at this venue, and we even had a good start with the bat. I think it is time to wake up for us in the tournament."
Player of the match, Waseem, said, "I was nervous in the first match, but before this match, coaches wanted me to relax. I did the same and got the result. In the middle, Sanjay Yadav and I spoke about taking the game to the end, and we were able to do it."
After putting an end to a nine-match losing streak, an emotional Trichy captain, Antony Dhas, said, "I cannot express how I'm feeling at the moment. We have been working really hard and finally, the results went our way. This is completely a team performance and also, full credit to Waseem Ahmed, Sanjay Yadav, and our bowlers. This is just the start of our campaign, we want to go a long way in the tournament by performing like this.
In the press conference, Trichy's Easwaran said: We are happy to get over the line after many losses. We have been executing a lot of things in the nets together, and it worked out well in the game. Initially, we started slow with the bat to keep wickets in hand for the final overs. We will continue the same process in the upcoming games, too.
Madurai Panthers wicketkeeper Lokeshwar said, "Trichy played well today. We also got a good start despite losing wickets, but we couldn't capitalize on it. We will not look into this so much and will come back stronger in the next one."
Brief scores:
Trichy Grand Cholas 193/2 in 20 overs (Waseem Ahmed 90*, Sanjay Yadav 60*; R Alexander 1/21) beat Siachem Madurai Panthers 126 in 16.4 overs (Hari Nishanth 39, Swapnil Singh 18; Sanjay Yadav 3/28) by 67 runs
Player of the Match: Waseem Ahmed
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