Rohit does magic with ball, HT enter final
LUCKNOW: A five-wicket haul by offie Rohit Kumar Singh helped defending champions Hindustan Times enter final of the SBI Media Cup Twenty20 Tournament, crushing high-flying Electronics Media XI by nine wickets, at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium here on Friday. Rohit was right on target from the very first ball, forcing Electronics Media XI batsmen dancing to his tune. Barring opener Mayur Shukla (29, 25b, 2x4, 1x6), no other could show any resistance. Rohit led the demolition, trapping Akash Mahajan (10, 8b, 2x4) leg before wicket, and thereafter sent back three other batsmen home with his quick ones, before taking a return catch of Deepak Taneja (1) on his own bowling.
Skipper Abhinav Shukla (2/23), Dileep Pandey (2/17) and Manish Singh (1/12) too bowled well as Electronics Media XI collapsed for paltry 79 in 11.5 overs.
The score could have been less if the HT bowlers had not conceded 25 runs as extras after Electronics Media chose to bat first after winning the toss.
In reply, the chase turned out to be mere formality as Abhinav Shukla (41*, 32b, 4x4, 1x6) and Anshul Kumar (21*, 17b, 3x4) took the side home in just 9.3 overs. Electronics Media XI’s skipper Rajeev Srivastava remained most expensive for his own side, conceding 31 runs, including 19 runs in his last over. Interestingly, spin specialist Deepak Taneja, wasn’t even considered for a single over on a track, which was helpful for slow bowlers. Last year’s runners-up Times of India will take on DD-AIR Eleven in the second semi-final on Saturday at 9.30 a.m., whereas final is slated to be played on Sunday at 10.00 a.m.
BRIEF SCORES
Electronics Media XI 79 in 11.5 overs (Mayur Shukla 29, Akash Mahajan 10, Rohit Kumar Singh
5/20, Dileep Pandey 2/17, Abhinav Shukla 2/23) lost to Hindustan Times 82/1 in 9.3 overs (Abhinav Shukla 41*, Anshul Kumar 21*).
SONALI EXCELS
Sonali Singh’s all-round performance (54 runs, 2 wkts) helped KP Mishra XI lift the Kalika Prasad Mishra Memorial Women’s Twenty20 Tournament, defeating Cricket Association
Lucknow by 81 runs, at the Northern Railway Stadium here on Friday.
BRIEF SCORES
KPM XI 133 in 20 overs (Sonali Singh 54, Anshu Tewari 31, Sudha Shukla 23, Shaivi Singh 4/23, Shivani Gupta 2/24, Priyanshi Yadav 2/25) beat CAL 52 in 16.4 overs (Shraddha Tewari 16, Prisha Gupta 2/3, Sonali Singh 2/14).