Vida Kovai Kings made short work of Chepauk Super Gillies on Tuesday, winning the first TNPL-10 fixture at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium by five wickets.
The Kovai outfit was always in control of the contest, apart from when Ram Arvindh (63, 32b, 7×4, 4×6) and Swapnil Singh (20, 19b, 2×4) were going strong in an 80-run stand for the fourth wicket.
However, CSG lost wickets in clusters on either side of the partnership, getting bowled out for 167 in 19.3 overs.
The Kovai Kings top-order of S. Radhakrishnan (38, 18b, 3×4, 3×6), S. Lokeshwar (40, 39b, 3×4) , and B.
Sachin (37, 23b, 5×4, 1×6) ensured the target was surmounted in 18.5 overs.VKK losing three wickets for 13 runs in the middle overs only dented the margin of victory as Shahrukh Khan (25, 11b, 2×4, 2×6) displayed power and panache.
Earlier, after being asked to bat, CSG had a six-less PowerPlay (48 for three). While skipper N. Jagadeesan and Mokit Hariharan departed after playing rash shots to M. Siddharth (two for 24) and R. Divakar, K. Aashiq ran himself out after G. Kishoor moved quickly from mid-off for a direct hit.
Just as Ram Arvindh started to up the ante, Siddharth castled the Impact Player to peg back CSG (101 for four in 10.3 overs).
If not for No. 8 Dinesh Raj’s cameo (32, 18b, 3×4, 2×6), the CSG innings would have cut a sorry figure as R.S. Ambrish (three for 22) chipped away with the wickets.
The VKK willow-wielders took care of the rest.
