Vivek scripts facile win for Dindigul Dragons in Tamil Nadu Premier League

CHENNAI: Dindigul Dragons rode R Vivek’s 32-ball 62 (4x4, 5x6) to register a four-wicket win over Tuti Patriots in their Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) clash at the NPR College ground in Dindigul on Tuesday.
It was a contest that saw big hitters from both the sides come to the party. While Rajagopal Sathish (74, 7x4, 4x6) and R Malolan (37, 3x4, 2x6) entertained the crowd in the opening half, Vivek took over the role in the subsequent phase of the contest.
Chasing Patriots’ target of 178, Dindigul didn’t have the smoothest of starts.After losing Hari Nishanth (4, 1x4) and NS Chaturved (11, 1x4, 1x6) early in the innings, Vivek took the responsibility to repair the damage. He first added 26 for the third-wicket with skipper N Jagadeesan (31, 5x4) and then took his side closer to the victory margin in the company of B Anirudh (6, 1x4).
Vivek’s innings was a combination of raw power and deft touches. He played shots to all parts of the park and took special liking for left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (2 for 36), hitting him for 22 runs in the 10th over of the chase. When Vivek was dismissed, caught by R Sathish in the deep off R Jesuraj (1 for 28), Dindigul needed 49 off the last 40.
M Mohammed (36 not out, 3x4, 1x6) and M Abhinav (15 not out, 1x4, 1x6) ensured Dindigul finished the contest with six balls to spare. The win meant Dindigul had four wins from five outings in the competition. They are now on top of the points tally with 8 points, while Patriots are on 4 from as many outings.
The first half of the contest belonged to Sathish. The 37-year-old brought his A game to the park with a 41-ball knock that changed the complexion of the match. Sathish, who walked in with Patriots in trouble at 48 for 4 in the 8th over, kept himself busy at the start of his innings by relying more on ones and twos.
In the company of R Malolan (37, 3x4, 2x6), Sathish found a partner who was willing to shift gears. Their sixth-wicket partnership yielded 101 runs off 55 deliveries. The duo exploded in the last five overs as their side scored 62 runs during that period of play. The Sathish-Malolan pair opened up in the 13th over — bowled by leggie M Abhinav (2 for 33) — which went for 14 runs. Apart from the two, opener S Dinesh (24, 2x4, 1x6) was the only other notable contributor.
BRIEF SCORES: Tuti Patriots 177 for 8 in 20 overs (R Sathish 74, R Malolan 37; Abhinav 2 for 33). Dindigul Dragons 178 for 6 in 19 overs (N Jagadeesan 31, R Vivek 62, M Mohammed 36; Sai Kishore 2 for 36, Davidson 2 for 47). Dragons won by four wickets