CHENNAI: iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans kicked off their TNPL-6 campaign with a four-wicket win over Ruby Trichy Warriors in Tirunelveli on Monday. Trichy's target of 158 proved to be tricky for Tiruppur. After losing their openers cheaply, Maan Bafna (26) and S Anand (35) set up the team's chase with a 61-run third wicket stand before Tushar Raheja (42 n.o., 4x4, 2x6) and M Mohammed (29 n.o., 2x4, 2x6) shone in their unbeaten seventh-wicket partnership (60 runs in just 4.4 overs) to see Tiruppur through in 18.5 overs.
Tiruppur didn't have the best of starts as openers --- S Anirudha (9) and S Siddharth (7) failed to last long. Maan Bafna and Anand's 51-ball stand revived their innings. However, Trichy hit back by getting rid of Bafna and Anand in quick succession. From 2-78 ---Tiruppur slipped to 6 for 98. That's when Mohammed and Raheja took centre-stage and took the game away from Trichy.
For Trichy, medium-pacer P Saravana Kumar (3-44) and left-arm spinner M Mathivannan (2-20) shone with the ball.
Batting first, Trichy finished on 157-6 thanks to two crucial partnerships. They got off to a fiery start with openers Murali Vijay (34) and Amit Satvik (26, 4x4, 1x6) adding 57 for the first wicket in 5.3 overs. Vijay looked in great touch and his 16-ball cameo contained 6 fours and a six. Once the two departed, Tiruppur came back into the contest. Nidhish Rajagopal (2), Aadithya Ganesh (15), Adnan Khan (13), and Antony Dhas (13) found it hard to get going and perished cheaply. At 112-6 in the 15th over, Trichy were losing the plot. However, the unbeaten 7th wicket stand between M Mathivannan (27 n.o., 2x4, 2x6) and P Saravana Kumar (17 n.o, 1x4) yielded 45 runs in the last 5.4 overs to help Trichy end with a respectable total. For Tiruppur, medium-pacer Aswin Crist (2-41) and left-arm spinner Mohan Prasath (1-14) were the pick of the lot.
Brief scores: Ruby Trichy Warriors 157-6 in 20 overs (M Vijay 34, M Mathivannan 27 n.o; Aswin Crist 2-41). iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 158-6 in 18.5 overs (Tushar Raheja 42 n.o., S Anand 35, M Mohammed 29 n.o., M Bafna 26; P Saravana Kumar 3-44, M Mathivannan 2-20). Tiruppur won by 4 wickets
