The Thrissur Titans delivered a dramatic finish to advance to the Kerala Cricket League final, edging past the Trivandrum Royals by a single wicket in the first semi‑final at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
Key to the Titans’ victory was No. 11 batsman Anand Joseph, who turned a seemingly lost chase into a remarkable finish with a sensational three‑ball assault in the final over.
Facing a target of 164, Thrissur were reduced to 149 for nine after 19 overs, leaving them requiring 15 runs from the final six deliveries.
Joseph came in as the Titans faced elimination and delivered under intense pressure. Following a wide by Akshay Chandran, he struck a six, then a four, and completed the chase with another six off the final ball. He finished unbeaten on 16 runs from just three deliveries, posting an extraordinary strike rate of 533.33.
Joseph also proved valuable with the ball. Opening the bowling for Thrissur, he claimed two wickets for 31 runs in four overs, removing Vishnu Vinod and Trivandrum captain Krishna Prasad. His spell limited the Royals’ total.
Trivandrum Royals were set 163 to win after being asked to bat first. After slipping to 93 for five, they recovered thanks to an unbeaten 53 from Akshay Manohar (off 26 balls) and an unbeaten 28 from Nikhil Malik (off 15 balls). The partnership added crucial runs to set a competitive total.
Thrissur’s run chase was anchored by Ahammed Imran, who top‑scored with 43 off 35 balls, while Shoun Roger, Nikhil Thottath and skipper MS Akhil also contributed useful runs. Persistent wickets, however, left the Titans needing an improbable 15 runs from the final over.
Joseph ensured that Thrissur would not suffer final‑over heartbreak on this occasion.
His exceptional cameo secured a one‑wicket victory and earned him the Player of the Match award. Most importantly, the win advances the Thrissur Titans to their first Kerala Cricket League final, where they will meet the winner of the second semi‑final between the Alleppey Ripples and the Calicut Globstars.
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