KP hits ton in consolation win for Trivandrum, Kochi continue firing even without Sanju

Captain Krishna Prasad scored an unbeaten century as the Trivandrum Royals defeated Thrissur Titans by 17 runs in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL-2) at the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

The opener hit 10 sixes in his 62-ball 119. Abdul Basith added 28 off 13 as the Royals posted 201/5. In response, the Titans made 184/8, with Vinod Kumar C V top scoring 41 not out off 21. Ahammed Imran, the league's leading scorer, made 38, while captain Shoun Roger added 37 for the Titans.

Krishna Prasad is the third centurion of the season after Imran and Sanju Samson. The Royals are out of contention for the semifinals, having won just two matches in their nine games.

Earlier in the evening, Kochi Blue Tigers defeated Calicut Globstars by three wickets. The Blue Tigers, sitting comfortably at the top of the points table and having confirmed their berth in the semifinals, were without Sanju Samson.

In Sanju's absence, Jishnu A opened the Blue Tigers' innings and top-scored with a 29-ball 45. The Blue Tigers chased down a target of 166 runs with three balls to spare.

Sanju, who scored a century and three fifties to help the Blue Tigers reach the semifinals, will soon join the Indian team for the Asia Cup beginning September 9 in the UAE.

Brief scores: Trivandrum Royals 201/5 in 20 overs (Krishna Prasad 119 not out, Abdul Basith 28, Adithya Vinod 2/32) bt Thrissur Titans 184/8 in 20 overs (Vinod Kumar CV 41 not out, Ahammed Imran 38, Shoun Roger 37, Asif Salam 3/44, Abhijith Praveen V 2/27)

Calicut Globstars 165/7 in 20 overs (P Anfal 38, Rohan Kunnummal 36, Jerin PS 2/23, P Midhun 2/31, Jobin Joby 2/35) lost to Kochi Blue Tigers 167/7 in 19.3 overs (Jishnu A 45, Vinoop Manoharan 30, Akhil Scaria 3/33, S Midhun 2/35)