By Paritosh Pramanik A BELOW-PAR performance from the batters saw Orange Tigers slump to their second successive defeat as they went down to Nagpur Heroz in the Vidarbha Premier League match at VCA’s Jamtha International Stadium on Wednesday evening. Chasing the 217 runs target, Orange Tigers could manage 207- 8 in 20 overs to stay at the bottom of the table with a 10-run loss. As for Nagpur Heroz, it was their first win after their six-wicket hiding to Bharat Rangers on Tuesday. Orange Tigers’ batting never took off. They managed to score 61 for the loss of Dhruv Shorey in powerplay but in the next four overs they lost four wickets scoring only 21 runs to remain under the pump. Instead of playing around the ground, Orange Tigers batters preferred going for aerial routes and ended up in giving easy catches near boundary ropes. Nagpur Heroz’s Siddhant Muley bowled well for his three wickets. After sending back opener Mandar Mahale trapped in front, he bowled a slower one to get Kshitiz Dahiya the very next delivery. Tigers always played the chasing game. For a moment Padole (54) brought some life scoring 27 runs from Muley’s third over as they reached 125 from 13 overs. However, in the next over, Tejas Soni sent back an uncomfortable looking Orange Tigers captain Yash Rathod caught by Apoorv Wankhade for 14-ball 16. Padole, meanwhile, continued to entertain the sparse crowd hitting Umesh Yadav for two sixes and a four in the next over as he completed his half century in 15 deliveries. But his fine innings ended when he top-edged Yadav to give a simple catch to Muley.

 

Vishesh Tiwari (17) and Akshay Karnewar (41*) delayed the inevitable but Nagpur Heroz made sure they returned home with two points. Earlier, Nagpur Heroz’s captain Aman Mokhade bulldozed Orange Tigers bowlers with a flurry of sixes to hit a classy 85 from 27 balls as they scored 217-7 in 20 overs. Heroz slumped in the middle but Apoorv Wankhade (28) and Kartik Rathod (37) steadied the ship in the as they managed to reach a decent total on a flat track. With eight boundaries and as many sixes, Mokhade tore Orange Tigers bowlers apart. He picked 26 from one Aditya Thakare over and then slammed Atharva Podutwar for 23 runs as Heroz raced to 89 from powerplay. They crossed the 100-run mark in the seventh over. But Orange Tigers bowlers kept their cool and waited for the batter to make a mistake. Captain Yash Rathod introduced spinner Padole and the bowler made an immediate impact getting the wicket of Mokhade caught at long-on boundary. His fall pumped up Orange Tigers as they snared three more wickets to dominate the game for a while. From 106-1 in 7.1 overs, Nagpur Heroz tumbled to 124 for four after 10 overs. Mandar Mahale mixed his deliveries taking the wickets of Parth Rekhade (28) and Akash Kombe (2) to ignite Nagpur Heroz’s fall. Padole then spun his web taking the wicket of Iknoor SinghBhamra as they took the strategic break in total control. For more than six overs,Nagpur Heroz failed to find aboundary as Tigers bowlers tightened their grip. Orange Tigers had twoambidextrous bowlers in AkshayKarnewar and Padole who usedboth their arms to bowl. Padoleregistered an excellent figures of4-0-29-2 while Karnewar wentwicket-less for 32 from his twoovers. Nagpur Heroz’s hard-hittingbatter and costliest buy of the season Wankhade steadied theirinnings and along with Rathodthey added 42 runs for the sixthwicket before Thakare got thelatter on 28 in the 18th over. Butthe total was enough for them tosee the result fall in their favour.