TNPL 2023: Sandhu, spinners help Salem Spartans prevail over Tiruppur Tamizhans; Openers win it for Dindigul Dragons over Nellai Royal Kings

Valuable knock: Sunny Sandhu’s 61 on a tough pitch was one of the highlights in Salem Spartans’ victory. 
| Photo Credit: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

Sunny Sandhu scored 61 (44b, 6×4, 2×6), and left-arm spinners Sachin Rathi (three for 21) and N. Selva Kumaran (three for 32) starred with the ball to help Salem Spartans beat iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by eight runs at the India Cement Company ground here on Saturday.

A highlight of Sunny’s innings was his back-to-back sixes to deep midwicket and long on off Trilok Nag in the 15th over. He also bowled with the new ball and conceded 21 runs in three overs.

Dry pitch and a seemingly crumbling top surface indicated the strip would be spin-friendly.

Tiruppur’s left-arm spinners Ajith Ram (one for 20) and Sai Kishore (two for 31) went for 5 runs and 7.75 runs an over, while Salem’s left-arm spinners Sachin and Selva went for 5.25 and 8 an over.

Tiruppur’s P. Bhuvaneswaran mixes up his length and pace even with the new ball. While, he’d mixed up his length up front in his five-for (five for 17), he tried the wobble-seam delivery that moved away from the right-hander.

In the second match of the day, Vimal Khumar (62, 53b, 3×4, 4×6) and Shivam Singh (51, 39b, 7×4) were engaged in an 117-run first-wicket partnership as Dindigul Dragons beat Nellai Royal Kings by seven wickets in the second match of the day.

Vimal Khumar hit four sixes and there were two remarkable things about those — his use of footwork to off-spinner Lakshay Jain, and clearing the boundary down the ground since it is the longest part of the ground. He hit Lakshay for sixes over-long on, long-off, and straight boundaries, and Poiyamozhi for a six over the straight boundary.

There was a brief nervous time for Dindigul after Vimal and Shivam were dismissed, when Sonu Yadav with his yorkers and Poiyamozhi with his slower balls tried to get Nellai back into the contest.

The scores:

Salem Spartans 155 in 20 overs (Sunny Sandhu 61, H. Trilok Nag 2/21, P. Bhuvaneswaran 3/48, Sai Kishore 2/31) bt iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 147/9 in 20 overs (Sai Kishore 26, Sachin Rathi 3/21, N. Selva Kumaran 3/32).

Nellai Royal Kings 159/7 in 20 overs (Arun Karthick 39, N.S. Harish 34 n.o., Subodh Bhati 2/32, M. Mathivannan 2/25) lost to Dindigul Dragons 160/3 in 19.3 overs (Vimal Khumar 62, Shivam Singh 51).