Patriots run away with 10-wicket win

CHENNAI: Defending champions Tuti Patriots came up with a near flawless performance to upstage Ruby Trichy Warriors by 10-wickets in their TNPL 2 league match at the NPR College Ground on Wednesday.
Twice in as many days at the same venue, the team batting first failed to play out their full quota of 20 overs and the second batting side went about demolishing the opposition during the run chase.
Chasing a mediocre 121, Patriots openers M Kaushik Gandhi (72 no, 55 balls) and Washington Sundar (49 no, 38 balls) ensured Trichy were out of contest as early the sixth over.
Gandhi and Washington struck a flurry of boundaries, including two sixes to finish the power play at 66 without loss. Washington was severe on spinner M Prabhu (0/41 in 3 overs), while Gandhi took on Trichy pacers piercing the gaps in the ring.
From there on, the duo played sensible cricket rotating the strike and smashing the odd boundary to close out the match with 27 balls to spare.
Earlier, Ruby Trichy Warriors, playing their first match of the edition, got off to a perfect start as openers Bharath Shankar (40, 32 balls) and Nilesh Subramanian (19) added 58 runs in 7.5 overs.
Bharath, who had represented TN in five first-class matches, went about his business in a methodical manner finding the boundaries with consistency which included two big sixes as well.
However, experienced Tuti left-arm spinner R Aushik Srinivas broke through. He trapped southpaw Nilesh in his first over. Akash Sumra (2/11) castled Bharath in the very next over. Even as skipper B Indrajith (30) was going solid at one end, rotating the strike with ease, he didn't find support at the other.
If their bowling was spot on, Tuti's fielding was exceptional. Skipper Anand Subramanian led the way with an acrobatic catch to his right at mid-wicket to dismiss Adithya Ganesh (6), while Gandhi scored a direct-hit to send back allrounder J Kousik (1).
From there on, Trichy could never recover. Indrajith did try his best to up the ante striking a couple of sixes, one of which was off a dropped chance. But the experienced bowling attack of Tuti comprising Aswin Crist (1/24), Aushik (1/11), Washington Sundar (2/22), Sumra (2/11) and Ganesh Moorthi M (1/26) ensured Trichy were bowled out for 120 in 18.5 overs.
Brief scores: Ruby Trichy Warriors 120 in 18.5 overs (Bharath Shankar 40). Tuti Patriots 124/0 in 15.3 overs (M Kaushik Gandhi 72 no, Washington Sundar 49 no). Tuti won by 10 wkts.