Raina and Co miss out final berth
LUCKNOW: There is many a slip between the cup and the lip--This proved true for former champions Uttar Pradesh, which missed out a berth in Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy final by a whisker, losing to Delhi by just three runs in their last Super League match in Kolkata on Thursday.
UP needed 13 runs for the last six balls with two wickets in hand, and they started the over with a six, but the run-outs of Saurabh Kumar, who scored a breezy 18-ball 33, and Mohsin Multan Khan on the second and the six balls, respectively shattered all their hopes of playing the final for the second time. Suresh Raina-led side had lifted their maiden trophy in 2015-16. Now, Delhi take on Rajasthan in final on Friday at the Eden Gardens. This wasn’t a big target for UP to achieve after restricting Delhi for 140/9 in 20 overs while fielding first after winning the toss, at the Jadhav University ground in Salt Lake. But they kept losing wickets on regular intervals. Though top-order batsmen, including inform skipper Suresh Raina got starts, nobody could get a big score.
Both Raina (16, 12b) and his deputy Akshdeep Nath (1) fell cheaply, and the target started looking difficult to achieve. Rinku Singh (34, 26b, 4x4, 1x6) and Saurabh tried to push the side home, but Saurabh’s runout left UP licking their wounds as they couldn’t score six off the last four deliveries. Milind inflicted three run-outs, including Saurabh’s, and also took two catches. Left-arm spinner Pawan Negi remained the most successful bowler for Delhi, bagging 2/13. Earlier, it was Rishabh Pant, who helped the side score a respectable total, hitting 34-ball 58, which contained five hits to the fence and three sixes. Pant’s knock proved savior for the side as Team India discard Gautam Gambhir was caught behind for one off seamer Amit Mishra in the first over.
However, Pant and Dhruv Shorey (12), who has been in good form lately, added 38 runs in 3.5 overs for the secondwicket, before Shorey and Unmukt Chand (0) falling in successive overs. Once Delhi slumped to 67/4 with Nitish Rana falling for a duck too.
After Pant’s exploit, it was Milind Kumar, who struck 32 off 28 balls to help Delhi post a respectable total. Ankit Rajpoot, Mohammad Israr and Mohsin finished with two wickets each. BRIEF SCORES Delhi 140/9 in 20 overs
(Rishabh Pant 58, Milind 32, Ankit Rajpoot 2/33, Israr Azim 2/12, Mohsin Multan Khan 2/29)
beat UP 137 in 20 overs (Rinku Singh 34, Saurabh Kumar 33, Subodh Bhati 2/28, Pawan Negi 2/13).
UP IN FINAL
Meanwhile, hosts Uttar Pradesh took first innings lead against Chhattisgarh to make it to the final of the Under-14 Raj Singh Dungapur Trophy in Meerut on Thursday. After scoring 237 in 60.5 overs, Uttar Pradesh had Chhattigarh at 90/4 in 65 overs when the two teams agreed for a draw.