In good touch: Sachin’s innings of 70 runs in 46 balls took Kovai Kings to a strong score. , Photo Credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan
Defending champions Lyca Kovai Kings reached the summit clash of the seventh edition of TNPL Finals with a 30-run win over Dindigul Dragons in the first qualifier at the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground here on Friday.
Kovai Kings came out to bat B. With the help of a brilliant half-century from Sachin (70, 46b, 7×4, 2×6), scored a strong score of 193 runs for seven wickets. It was the second consecutive half-century for the young left-handed batsman. In reply, the Dragons’ chase never got going and lost half their team with only 58 runs on the board by the tenth over.
Just when it looked like it was curtains for the Dragons, impact player C. Sarath Kumar (62, 26b, 1×4, 8×6) produced a brilliant display of power-hitting, bringing up his half-century in just 18 balls. With the Kovai Kings spinner out of the park with disdain. However, Sarath had a lot to do and Gautam Thamarai Kannan’s brilliant 19th over sealed the game for Kovai Kings.
Earlier, the 19-year-old Sachin showed his class in the sixth over by hitting a hat-trick of fours off fast bowler G. Kishore. He began by guiding him through point before a cracking cover-drive and then cut an over slip as Kovai Kings finished the powerplay strongly at 57 for two.
Sachin was relieved when he was on 17 when Subodh Bhati dropped a sitter off Kishore at square leg and the youngster took U.K. The Dragons paid the price for this mistake by sharing an 82-run partnership for the third wicket with Mukilesh (44). Wicket.
Score: Lyca Kovai Kings 193/7 in 20 overs (J. Suresh Kumar 26, B. Sachin 70, U. Mukilesh 44, Subodh Bhati 4/37) bt Dindigul Dragons 163/9 in 20 overs (M. Boopathy Vaishnav Kumar 25, C. .Sarath Kumar 62, K. Gautam Thamarai Kannan 2/33, M. Mohammed 3/26, V. Yudhishwaran 2/15).