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Friday, Sep 02, 2005

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SPIC-TNCA wins

Special Correspondent

ATTACK MODE: Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan swept away the Maharashtra bowlers to fashion SPIC-TNCA's title win. — Photo: V. Ganesan

Chennai: SPIC-TNCA XI registered an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Maharashtra in the final of the Mindteck-Buchi Babu tournament here on Thursday. Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan sent off-spinner Nilesh Paradkar soaring over the wide long-on fence to seal the home team's triumph on the third and final day.

Vidyut was unbeaten on a blistering 54-ball 63 (7x4, 4x6) as SPIC-TNCA, set a target of 124 in 45 overs, cruised home in just 19.3 overs. Earlier, Maharashtra had made 204 for nine in the allotted 45 overs in its second innings.

Openers Vidyut and Anirudha Srikkanth (28) put together 67 in 79 balls in an entertaining partnership. Vidyut cover-drove seamer Anupam Sanklecha gloriously, while Anirudha pulled and off-drove the pacy Munaf Patel for boundaries.

The stand ended when Anirudha was at the wrong end of a marginal stumping decision while attempting to sweep Paradkar. Picking the length early, Vidyut continued to plunder runs with a few huge hits straight down the ground and over mid-wicket as off-spinners Paradkar and Rohit Jadhav suffered.

Vidyut found an able partner in Sridharan Sriram, who smashed an 18-ball unbeaten 31.

No aggression and variety

Considering that the only way Maharashtra could have won was by bowling out the opposition, the field placings were not aggressive enough. And the lack of variety in the Maharashtra attack did not help matters either.

Once Munaf finished his spell, there was no threat from the bowlers. Munaf too needs to pitch the ball further up to the batsman and use the short ball judiciously.

In the Maharashtra innings, opener Mansingh Nidge scored 54. The number of deliveries he took for these runs — 102 — reflects the fact that the rate of scoring was not fast enough when the team needed quick runs to get back into the contest.

A 33-ball unbeaten 31 by Sumit Chavan took the total beyond 200, but Maharashtra eventually paid the price for leaving 27 overs unutilised in the first innings.

The Tamil Nadu bowlers did not adopt a consistent line in the second innings. Left-arm spinner R. Ramkumar claimed three wickets without being anywhere as impressive as in the first innings.

Superlative efforts

There were two gripping pieces of action on the final day. Wicket-keeper Dinesh Kaarthick flung himself to his left to pouch Kedar Jadhav (17) when the batsman glanced paceman D. Tamilkumaran. And R. Naresh effected a direct hit from sweeper cover to run-out Nidge.

P.A. Ananthanarayanan, CEO, Mindteck, gave away the trophy. SPIC-TNCA received Rs. one lakh and Maharashtra Rs. 50,000.

The scores: Maharashtra XI 217 & 204 for nine in 45 overs (Mansingh Nidge 54) lost to SPIC-TNCA XI 298 & 127 for one in 19.3 overs (Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan 63 not out).

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