The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Saurashtra in semifinals

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Thursday, Sep 13, 2007
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Saurashtra in semifinals

HYDERABAD: Just when Bengal threatened to take the match to the wire, heavens opened up, forcing the abandonment of play with 9.3 overs left in the final session on the third day, enabling Saurashtra to enter the semifinals by virtue of the first innings lead in the 77th all-India Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup invitation cricket tournament at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal) here on Wednesday.

Saurashtra, which took a first innings lead of 84 runs, scored 180 for eight in the stipulated 40 overs in its second innings. The highlights were the breezy knocks by Pratik Mehta (31, 2x4) and Nikhil Rathod (31, 1x6, 1x4).

Saurashtra thus set up a difficult target of 265 in 40 overs for Bengal.

Bengal accepted the challenge and hit back hard thanks largely to opener Wriddiman Saha, who struck 60 (54b, 4x4) before retiring due to dehydration.

Despite losing Arindam Das (14) and Soham Ghosh (11) early in the innings, Bengal decided to take the fight into the rival camp. Anustup Muzumdar (46 not out, 43b, 2x4) and southpaw Rana Choudhary (50, 48b, 2x4, 2x6) batted with authority and put on 88 runs at a rapid pace, causing panic in the Saurashtra camp and giving Bengal hope of a victory when a heavy downpour forced the players to troop off the field. Umpires I. Sivaram and Shamshuddin called off play later as rain rendered the ground unfit for any further play. The match was decided on the basis of the first innings lead.

IOC advances

In another quarterfinal, Indian Oil Corporation fought back strongly to bundle out BSNL for 148 to take the vital first innings lead and enter the semifinals.

The third day’s play at the Gymkhana between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu was abandoned due to wet ground conditions.

According to HCA officials, the match may be shifter to the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium on Thursday if weather permits. A 50-over match will be played to decide the other semifinalist.

The scores:

Saurashtra 292 and 180 for eight in 40 overs drew with Bengal 208 and 191 for two in 30.3 overs (Wriddiman Saha 60 retired, Anustup Muzumdar 46 not out, Rana Choudhary 50 not out). Saurashtra advanced by virtue of first innings lead.

IOC 169 drew with BSNL 148 in 51.2 overs (Sumit Sharma 57, Rajesh Pawar four for 46). IOC advanced by virtue of first innings lead. — Principal Correspondent

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