Rangers storm into final – The Hitavada
By Paritosh Pramanik :
ADITYA Ahuja scored a fine century (109) for Pagariya Strikers but their butter-fingered fielders let the game slip away from their grasp as Bharat Rangers stormed into the final of Vidarbha Premier League Season 2 at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Friday.
Chasing an imposing target of 231, Bharat Rangers, assisted by a bagful of dropped catches, achieved the target with five wickets in hand and three balls to spare. Pagariya Strikers will meet Orange Tigers in Qualifier 2 on Saturday.
Pagariya Strikers players first dropped rival captain Atharva Taide twice and then spilled the catch of Varun Bisht (35; 15b, 2×4, 3×6) deep into the game several times. Pushpak Gujar was the culprit on a couple of occasions.
If that was not enough, Sanskar Chavate overstepped when he got Bisht caught at long-off by Ahuja. In the same over Bisht hit a four and a six to bring the equation down. In the meantime Nachiket Bhute showed his batting skills to hit 9-ball unbeaten 22 with two sixes and a boundary. When Bharat Rangers needed six runs from the last over, Bisht was again dropped by Gujar at mid-wicket off Rahul Singh. Bisht completed the formalities with a six. Chavate was hammered for 51 runs from three overs.
Earlier in their innings Vedant Jajoo finally got back his form with a 31-ball 62 after Athrava Taide perished on a personal score of 34.
The openers put up 85 runs for the opening wicket. Danish Malewar then scored 25-ball 44 runs to keep his side in the hunt.
Pagariya Strikers opener Ahuja slammed Bharat Rangers bowlers with consummate ease as they posted a huge 230-9. Ahuja hammered 10 huge sixes and five boundaries in his 61 balls stay in the middle. Apart from his century, the talented batter stitched three crucial partnerships throughout their innings. He first added 49 runs for the second wicket with Updesh Rajput (54; 13b, 3×4, 5×6) and then put up 41 for the fourth wicket with captain Yash Kadam (16). The best partnership came for the fifth wicket when he and
R Sanjay posted 87 runs from 43
deliveries.
Ahuja was at the centrestage of Pagariya innings with his fluent batting. Sixes flew from his bat with ease and he completed his maiden century with a six over long-off boundary in the 19th over. His knock had nine maximums and five boundaries.
Faiz Sheikh picked a couple of boundaries off Hrushikesh Pawar but the bowler got him caught at the very next delivery at point by Danish Malewar.
Strikers promoted Updesh Rajput at No 3 holding back regular R Samarth and the decision worked for a while with the former hitting a hat-trick of sixes off Nachiket Bhute. Next over he picked up a couple of fours and as many sixes off Pawar as Pagariya raced to 63-1 in four overs.
