Dindigul: Dindigul Dragons sealed the top spot in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) with another emphatic victory at the NPR College Ground, here on Monday.
DD upstaged VB Kanchi Veerans by seven wickets for their sixth consecutive victory, giving them an unassailable lead in the standings. They have 12 points and the closest contenders for the top slot are Chepauk Super Gillies and Siechem Madurai Panthers as they have eight points from six matches. Even if both teams win their last league matches, they would only end up with 10 points each.
DD’s sixth win meant they topped the league standings for the second year in succession. In 2018, they totalled 10 points from seven matches with five wins and two defeats. For VBKV, their third defeat in six matches ensures they remain on the fourth spot with six points and the playoff spot well within reach.
After restricting VBKV for 133, DD too struggled to overhaul the target but opener C Hari Nishaanth broke the shackles with an unbeaten 61 off 44 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes) to see the side through.
It was a productive day for Nishaanth, who had earlier picked two wickets for 17 runs with three overs of off-spin bowling. Both teams travel to India Cements Ltd-Sankar Nagar Ground, Tirunelveli for their last league matches. Dindigul Dragons taken on Lyca Kovai Kings on Wednesday (August 7) while VB Kanchi Veerans meet the winless Ruby Trichy Warriors in the last league match of the season on Friday (9 August ).
Brief scores: VB Kanchi Veerans 133-8 in 20 overs (Vishal Vaidhya 51, Suresh Lokeshwar 26; Mohan Abhinav 3-24, C Hari Nishaanth 2-17) beat Dindigul Dragons 134-3 in 20 overs(C Hari Nishaanth 61 not out, Narayan Jagadeesan 21, Rajendran Vivek 26 not out; NS Harish 1-22, Ramesh Divakar 2-34) by 15 runs.