CHENNAI: Madurai Panthers rode medium-pacer R Silambarasan's (4-22) splendid show with the ball to register a 39-run win over Salem Spartans in their TNPL-6 encounter in Coimbatore on Monday. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rithik Easwaran's top-effort (27-ball 41) helped Madurai score 165-7. Their bowlers led by Silambarasan then took centre-stage to restrict Salem to 126-9.
Salem began their chase by knocking off 25 runs in 2.5 overs before Madurai bowlers hit back. Medium-pacer Sunny Sandhu (1-28) dismissed opener H Gopinath (15) and from thereon Salem kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Apart from Silambarasan, left-arm spinner P Saravanan (2-9) and offie B Rocky (2-27) kept the pressure on Salem batsmen with their lines and lengths. Silambarasan trapped R Kavin leg-before in his very first over. He subsequently accounted for Jafar Jamal (13), Kishoor (0) and M Ganesh Moorthi (4). For Salem, Pranav Kumar (25 n.o.) was the leading run-scorer.
Earlier, Madurai finished with a 160-plus total thanks to handy contributions from Rithik and skipper NS Chaturved (34). The two got together when Salem's left-arm spinner Ganesh Moorthi's (2-30) twin strikes in the 9th over reduced Madurai to 62 for 3. Rithik and Chaturved added 59 for the fourth wicket to take Madurai past the 100-run mark. Medium-pacer Kishoor (3-39) accounted for Rithik and Chaturved as Madurai failed to finish with a flourish.
Brief scores: Madurai Panthers 165-7 in 20 overs (R Easwaran 41, NS Chaturved 34; Kishoor 3-39, Ganesh Moorthi 2-30). Salem Spartans 126-9 in 20 overs (R Silambarasan 4-22, Saravanan 2-9). Madurai won by 39 runs
