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Ahmedabad Rockets zooms past Lions

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Debutant Ahmedabad Rockets had a perfect lift-off in the inaugural tie of the Indian Cricket League’s Edelweiss 20s Challenge against Chandigarh Lions and zoomed to surprise 19-run victory at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium at Punchkula, here on Sunday.

Openers Wavell Hinds and Indore-based 22-year-old Sachin Dholpure smashed half centuries to lay the platform for a formidable total before Rockets found itself restricted to 158 for five in 20 overs.

Eventually, the total proved enough. Skipper Damien Martyn juggled his bowling resources well and Lions ended its chase at 139 for six. For Rockets, five of the seven bowlers were among the wickets, with Heath Streak getting two.

Never in the hunt

Runner-up of the inaugural edition, Lions was never really in the hunt even after opener Mathew Elliot contributed a 32-ball 39.

Thereafter, Lions’ skipper Chris Cairns (21) and Dinesh Mongia (16) hit a six each and put on 38 runs off 4.4 overs for the fourth wicket to keep the fight alive.

But the dismissals of Cairns, Mongia and Manish Sharma in successive overs in the space of just four runs proved decisive.

Nose dives

Earlier, Rockets nose dived from 122 without loss in 14 overs to 134 for five in the space of just 17 deliveries. Thereafter, if the debutant managed to cross the 150-mark it was only due to Streak. The strongly-built Zimbabwean hit three boundaries off Andrew Halls in the last over of the innings.

Electing to bat, Rockets could not have asked for a better start. The right-handed Dholpure (54, three 6s, four 4s) and left-handed Hinds (five 6s, three 4s) took the bowlers to the cleaners with some big hitting.

Dholpure’s dismissal to a brilliant diving catch by Elliot saw Lions making a comeback into the game. This over from Dinesh Mongia, the 15th of the innings, caused more damage with skipper Damien Martin and Hinds returning to the pavilion off successive deliveries.

The scores: Ahmedabad Rockets 158 for five in 20 overs (Wavell Hinds 59, Sachin Dholpure 54, Dinesh Mongia two for 18, Chris Cairns two for 22) beat Chandigarh Lions 139 for six in 20 overs (Mathew Elliott 39, Carins 21, T.P. Singh 20, Heath Streak two for 25).

Monday’s match: Delhi Giants vs. Mumbai Champs (7 p.m. live on Zee Sports and Ten Sports).

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