SALEM: [10:58 pm, 8/7/2024] Harjinder: SKM Salem Spartans earned a seven-wicket victory over Dindigul Dragons in the sixth match of the TNPL here on Monday. Set to chase 150, Salem got there with 11 balls to spare with R Vivek remaining unbeaten on 51 (28b, 5×4, 3×6). Opener and wicketkeeper R Kavin contributed 46 (34b, 8×4).
Earlier, Vimal Khumar and Baba Indrajith guided Dindigul to 149. Dindigul opted to bat first amidst challenging windy conditions that initially favoured the pacers. Their innings got off to a shaky start as Shivam Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin fell early within the powerplay overs, increasing the pressure on the batting side.
Shivam Singh faced a tough time finding his rhythm, scoring just two runs off 12 deliveries before being dismissed by an outstanding forward catch from Muhammed Adnan Khan. On the other hand, Ashwin struggled to adapt to the slower deliveries.
Despite the early losses, Vimal Khumar- who had struggled in the previous match, scoring just nine runs- adopted an aggressive approach.
He notched up 47 runs off just 32 deliveries before an unexpected run-out cut short his innings. His crucial partnership of 64 runs with Baba Indrajith proved vital in stabilizing Dindigul’s innings and laying a solid foundation for their total.
Following Vimal Khumar’s dismissal, Indrajith shifted his gears and accelerated the scoring rate, reaching his half-century in a brisk 32 deliveries. The experienced campaigner could not carry on and departed after making 51 off 34 deliveries. Dindigul suffered a setback following Indrajith’s dismissal, as SKM Salem Spartans’ bowlers ran through Dindigul’s middle order. In the end, Dinesh’s quickfire 10-ball 20 runs took the team to 149.
Harish Kumar and Sunny Sandhu were particularly effective for SKM Salem Spartans, claiming two wickets each to dent Dindigul’s batting line-up. Additionally, Poiyamozhi and Aushik Srinivas contributed with one wicket each.
Brief scores: Dindigul Dragons 149/9 in 20 overs (B Indrajith 51, Vimal Khumar 47) lost to SKM Salem Spartans 150/3 in 18.1 overs (R Vivek 51*, R Kavin 46)
[10:58 pm, 8/7/2024] Harjinder: Update – Bureau copy