TNPL | Patriots make the cut, Super Gaints bow out without a win

09/14/2016

In what was a lop-sided match in the India Cements TN Premier League, Albert Tuti Patriots handed Madurai Super Giants a 33-run drubbing in their game at Chepauk on Tuesday.Patriots have now sealed their spot in the semi-final whereas Giants end the tournament without a single win.

Brief scores: Albert TUTI Patriots 167/6 in 20 overs (Kaushik Gandhi 86, 55b, 8x4, 3x6, Washington Sundar 34, 31b, 2x4, 1x6; M Raja S 3/41) beat Madurai Super Giants 134/8 in 20 overs (Shijit Chandran 33, 33b, 1x4, 2x6, Francis Rokins 28, 22b, 1x4, 2x6; Ganesh Moorthi 2/15, Aushik Srinivas 2/23, Aswin Crist 2/31) by 33 runs.

Kaushik Gandhi, who scored a stylish 55-ball 86, was the chief architect for Patriots who tallied an impressive 167 for 6. Patriots, who had won the toss and opted to bat first, got off to a cautious start with U Sushil falling early to the spin of Muruganatham. Gandhi paced his innings beautifully as he rotated the strike early on and went for the big shots.

He and Maaruthi Raghav put on an impressive 37-ball 56-run partnership which set up the innings perfectly for Patriots.Gandhi was also involved in a 60-ball 85-run partnership with Washington Sundar with the latter scoring a fine 34. Gandhi hit two back-to-back sixes off Shijit Chandran before the latter had him stumped. The last five overs proved to be costly as Giants conceded 70 runs off five overs, but also managed to pick up four wickets. Chasing 168, Giants got off to the worst possible start as the hard hitting Arun Karthick fell for 5.

Aushik Srinivas, who was the first bowler to bowl consecutive maidens in the tournament, bowled a wicket-maiden in his first over. Giants later consolidated through skipper Shijit Chandran, as he joined forces with Mann K Bafna to stitch together a 51-run partnership. Chandran was later castled by Aswin Crist thus leaving Giants in further trouble. Patriots were spot on in the field as well as they picked up two wickets thanks to direct hits. Gandhi had a fabulous day in the field as he took a brilliant full-length diving catch at long-off.

The loss meant that Giants ended their dismal tournament as the only franchise not to have won a single game.

*Report courtesy TNPL Media