FORMER Vidarbha skipper and seasoned campaigner Shalabh Shrivastava played a scintillating knock while Nachiket Parande came out with an all-round performance as their respective teams Eleven Star Cricket Club and Advocate XI Cricket Club registered close wins in league matches of Guzder League A Division Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2021-22 that resumed after a break of two days at VCA Civil Lines Ground on Thursday. Shrivastava’s unbeaten 80 and skipper Shubham Dubey’s 43 lifted Eleven Star to a massive 175-3 in 20 overs against All India Reporter. Opener Sourabh Thubrikar (50; 37b, 4x4, 2x6) gave AIR a good start but the team (102-3) was found ten runs short of the revised target of 112 runs in 14 overs. Electing to bat, Eleven Star openers Akash Kumar (15) and Yash Rathod (21) added 42 runs before the latter was caught and bowled by offie Devendra Taraulia (2-27).

 

The bowler cleaned up Kumar at 61 and after that it was Shrivastava-Dubey show. Man of the match Shrivastava hammered seven sixes and four fours in his 49-ball knock while Dubey who got out in the last over played 28 balls hitting three sixes and one four. In the 18th over of the innings bowled by medium pacer Shreyash Sonawane, the duo clobbered four sixes (two each). Shrivastava ended the innings flicking Kshitij Dahiya for a four off the last ball. Dahiya claimed one wicket. Chasing the target, Thubrikar and Aman Sharma (12) helped the team reach 56 in 6.5 overs. Left-arm orthodox Harsh Dubey (2-21) gave the team break by having Sharma stumped by Rathod. When Ravi Jangid (15) and Thubrikar departed, the team score was 89-3. Dahiya (6*) and Urvesh Patel (7*) were trying to get their eyes in as the heavens opened up. In earlier match of the day, Advocate XI pipped Reshimbag Gymkhana by 11 runs. Opting to bat, Advocate scored a competitive 166-9 in 20 overs while Reshimbag were stopped at 155-7. Advocate openers Abhishek Pathak (27) and Akash Goutel (59; 48b, 4x4, 2x6) gave the team a good platform with 71-run stand but the later batsmen failed to cash on. Number nine Parande hit three four and a six scoring 21 not out from ten balls to prop up the score. For Reshimbag, medium pacers Nachiket Bhute (3-29) and Rahul Dongarwar (3-27) leg-spinner Kashif Anwar (2-24) were among the wickets. Man of the match seamer Parande (2-36) drew first blood on third ball of the innings cleaning Sandesh Drugwar for nought. All-rounder Bhute (41; 24b, 2x4, 3x6) and top order batsmen Gautam Vaidya (30; 28b, 1x6) and Kedar Jagtap (27) tried their best but Advocate bowlers stuck to their plans. Off-spinner Satyam Bhoyar picked two for 26 from his four overs while Yadvendra Thembre, Robin Singh and Pathak scalped one wicket apiece. On Friday, All India Reporter will play Navniketan Cricket Club in the morning match while Ministerial Services Sports Club take on Eleven Star Cricket Club in the afternoon game.