TNPL 2018: Kovai Kings beat Chepauk Super Gillies by 53 runs

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Tirunelveli, July 27: Lyca Kovai Kings bowlers dazzled at the ICL Sankar Nagar Ground, Tirunelveli, in their 53-run victory over Chepauk Super Gillies in the TNPL 2018 on Thursday night (July 26).

Defending 159 runs, the Kovai Kings bowling line-up bowled smartly to always keep an upper hand on the Cheapuk Super Gillies batsmen. They did not allow the Gillies batsmen to hit boundaries often and as a result, the Gillies wilted under the pressure of increasing required run-rate.

Chepauk Super Gillies had a miserable start in the chase and their ploy of opening with S Karthik failed as both the Gillies openers were back in the hut by the second over. The Kovai Kings struck twice again to leave the Gillies reeling at 22/4 in 5.1 overs.

M Ashwin waged a lone battle with a 36 (30b, 1x4, 2x6) as he kept losing his partners regularly. The Gillies were eventually all out for 105 in 18 overs thus losing their fourth consecutive match of the season.

Earlier in the night, the Kovai Kings openers, Shahrukh Khan and the captain Abhinav Mukund, gave a solid start with the partnership of 90 runs from 67 balls. Shahrukh Khan struck his third half-century of the tournament and ended with a sparkling inning of 59 (45b, 6x4, 2x6).

Chepauk Super Gillies' spinners sneaked a comeback in the middle overs as they grabbed four wickets in the span of eleven balls including the wicket of Shahrukh Khan. Anthony Dhas 28(21b,3x4,1x6) accelerated the run-scoring at the end to take the Kovai Kings' total from 120/5 to 158/6.

Brief scores: Lyca Kovai Kings: 158/6 in 20 overs (Shahrukh Khan 59, A Mukund 34, Antony Dhas 28; B Arun 2-24, Harish Kumar 2-37) beat Chepauk Super Gillies: 105 all out in 18 overs (M Ashwin 36; S Manigandan 3-21, T Natarajan 2-11, K Vignesh 2-18, Ajith Ram 2-27) by 53 runs.