Karthik, Prathiban top the charts

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As expected bat dominated ball in the recently concluded TNCA first division league with two batsmen breaching the 1000-run mark and many others crossing 500 runs for the season.

Indian wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik (Vijay CC) who enjoyed a consistent run has topped the charts with 1129 runs with an impressive average of 75.27.

Youngster Vijay Shankar who led champions Vijay CC in the league stage, finished behind Karthik with a tally of 1049 at 65.56.

There were other impressive performers as well. Anand Subramaniam of Globe Trotters, with 847 runs has provided the selectors something to think about.

The top-order batsman looked assured at the crease and the Buchi Babu tournament will provide a better picture on Anand's chances of making the Ranji Trophy cut.

Not many new names made the top-10 but B. Aparajith delivered when it mattered most but did not play enough games to make the list.

Another aspirant who caught the eye was R. Nilesh Subramanian of Jolly Rovers. The keeper-opener managed 544 runs at an average of 60.44 and could have well made the top-10 if not for a finger injury forcing him to miss three games.

Spinners prospered, mostly on designer tracks. The quality of spin that has only deteriorated over the years had another poor year.

AC Prathiban (India Pistons) was the top wicket-taker with 55 scalps but P. Sakthi’s tally of 46 deserves equal mention, as Aruna CC did not enjoy the home ground advantage. Ranji hopeful, Rahil Shah finished with 41 wickets, same as off-spinner M. Prabhu of Jolly Rovers.

Leggie M. Aaswin of IP impressed in patches with 43 wickets. The lone speedster among the top wicket-takers is Sunil Sam of Globe Trotters.

The hard working seamer finished with 40 scalps. Given the harsh weather and docile nature of most pitches, Sunil Sam's effort was praiseworthy.

Top ten batsmen

Name Team Matches Runs Avg
Dinesh Karthik Vijay CC 12 1129 75.27
Vijay Shankar Vijay CC 13 1049 65.56
Anand Subramanian GT 13 847 56.47
KH Gopinath Jolly Rovers 12 745 67.73
C. Hemant Kumar JR 12 743 82.56
Maaruthi Raghav Vijay CC 13 724 51.71
K. Bharath Shankar UFCC 11 710 59.17
R. Sathish Jolly Rovers 8 710 88.75
Robert Fernandez IOB 11 690 53.08
MR Muthupandi Young Stars 11 684 45.60

top ten bowlers

Name Team Matches Wkts Avg
AC Prathiban India Pistons 11 55 21.15
P. Sakthi Aruna CC 11 46 26.70
M. Aaswin India Pistons 10 43 24.67
Wilkins Victor Young Stars 11 42 16.14
M. Prabhu Jolly Rovers 12 41 27.27
Rahil Shah Vijay CC 12 41 22.80
R. Aushik Srinivas Falcon CC 11 40 29.95
Sunil Sam Globe Trotters 12 40 23.82
AK Balachander Falcon CC 11 31 28.61
Malolan Rangarajan Young Stars 11 30 32.00