Dragons thump Gillies to enter Playoffs

Dindigul Dragons sealed a place in the 2018 Sankar Cement-TNPL Playoffs by beating defending champions Chepauk Super Gillies in a one-sided affair at the NPR College ground in Natham (Dindigul) on Friday, Aug 3.

Dragons outplayed Gillies in all three departments to sign off the league phase with a thumping nine-wicket win. After restricting the defending champions to 120, Dragons, led by Narayan Jagadeesan, batted magnificently to register their fifth win in seven outings to move to the top of the points table.

It was Gillies’ sixth loss in seven games and they bring up the bottom of the eight-team competition.
Put in to bat, Gillies reached a confident 60/2 in eight overs before Dragons stormed back by dismissing skipper KH Gopinath (25) in the very next over.

Dragons struck at regular intervals and held some exceptional catches to bundle out the opposition in 19.3 overs. A Aarif (36) waged a lone battle.

Left-arm spinner R Silambarasan took three wickets in his final over to finish with 3-16.

Opener Jagadeesan hit an unbeaten 63 (43b, 7×4, 3×6) as Dragons closed out the chase with 39 balls to spare. The other opener Hari Nishaanth played a stroke-filled 34.

Brief scores:

Chepauk Super Gillies 120 in 19.3 overs (Aarif A 36, KH Gopinath 25, R Silambarasan 3-16, Trilok Nag 2-18, V Totadri 2-18) lost to Dindigul Dragons 121/1 in 13.3 overs (N Jagadeesan n.o. 63 , Hari Nishaanth 34, M Ashwin 1-27).

 AWARDS

‘Krishna Mines Super White Super Fours’ Award:  N Jagadeesan (Dindigul Dragons))  

‘Sankar Cement’ Maximum Sixes Award: N Jagadeesan (Dindigul Dragons/Chepauk Super Gillies)

‘Equitas Funtastic’ Player of the Match:  Silambarasan  (Dindigul Dragons)   

‘Sprite Most Refreshing Player’ Award: Trilok Nag (Dindigul Dragons) 

‘Most numbers of DOT BALL bowled in the match’ Award: M Ashwin (Chepauk Super Gillies)

‘Sankar Cement Man of the Match’ Award: N Jagadeesan (Dindigul Dragons)

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