Trivandrum Royals continued their Kerala Cricket League resurgence with a 14-run victory over Alleppey Ripples, while Thrissur Titans snatched a thrilling final-ball win against Calicut Globstars.
Trivandrum Royals overcame a sloppy fielding display to defeat Alleppey Ripples by 14 runs at the Sports Hub Greenfield stadium on Monday, continuing their mid-tournament resurgence with a fourth straight victory in the Kerala Cricket League.
Batting first, Royals posted 194 for four in their 20 overs. Opener Abhishek P. Nair found form with a 30-ball 57 (5×4, 2×6), adding 85 runs for the second wicket with Govind Dev Pai, who scored an unbeaten 82 off 50 balls (6×4, 5×6). Sibin Girish took three for 37 to check Royals' middle-overs progress, but Sijomon Joseph smashed an unbeaten 31 off 13 balls (4×6) to help Royals pile on 63 runs in the final four overs.
Alleppey Ripples put up a strong fight through a 98-run third-wicket partnership between Sachin Baby and K.A. Arun. Baby, who was dropped on 35, struck 91 off 49 balls (8×4, 5×6) before being caught at long-on by Krishna Prasad off Nikhil. Arun, dropped twice, fell for 37 to a diving catch by Abhishek P. Nair off N.P. Basil. Basil bowled a disciplined second spell to finish with four for 32, restricting Ripples to 180 for six in 20 overs.
In the day's second game, Thrissur Titans shed their recent chasing slump by defeating Calicut Globstars by four wickets. Globstars had earlier posted 146 for five in 20 overs, driven by Salman Nizar's unbeaten 51 and Rohan S. Kunnummal's 43, while J.T. Sarath took two for 22.
Titans reached 149 for six in 20 overs thanks to contributions from Ahammed Imran (45) and S. Akhil (50). Defending 10 runs in the final over, Akhil Scaria dismissed S. Akhil and Sharon (4), but a hobbling A.K. Arjun hit a six off the final ball of the innings to seal the victory for Titans.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.